Midtown Manhattan shooting: Chilling photos show Blackstone employees barricading office door with towering furniture

Hindustan Times

6 days ago

In the aftermath of the Midtown Manhattan shooting, chilling photos that have surfaced on social media appear to show how people barricaded themselves inside offices during gunman Shane Tamura's deadly rampage. The Las Vegas resident walked into the 44-story building and opened fire, killing a New York City police officer and three other people, officials said, as reported by NBC News. He then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Employees in business attire were reportedly seen piling couches up against their office door in an attempt to protect themselves.(X/@JorgeFNAVA)
READ MORE | Midtown NYC shooting: 5 key facts about Manhattan suspect as photos and videos surface
Terrifying photos now appear to show Blackstone employees inside 345 Park Avenue barricading their office door with furniture. Employees wearing business attire were seen piling couches up against their office door in an attempt to protect themselves, the New York Post reported. The towering furniture reached the ceiling.
Some workers even appeared to pull apart their desks to try and add more furniture onto the barricade.
READ MORE | Midtown NYC active shooter: First videos show people fleeing Manhattan building amid shooting reports
NYPD remembers fallen officer Didarul Islam
One of the victims of the Park Avenue shooting has been identified as NYPD officer Didarul Islam. The NYPD remembered him in a moving note shared on X.
'Police Officer Didarul Islam represented the very best of our department,' the post reads. 'He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today. We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honor his legacy.'
Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that Tamura had a known mental health history. Local journalist David Charns of 8NewsNow reported that the suspect had one arrest in Las Vegas, which was a trespassing charge that was later dropped by prosecutors.
Tamura is also believed to have allowed an innocent woman to exit the elevator bank without harming her while he was "spraying" gunfire across the lobby at 345 Park Avenue, officials said, as reported by the New York Post. The suspect allowed "her to walk past him unharmed" before entering the elevator, Tisch said.