Three dead, 10 wounded in Turks and Caicos Islands nightclub mass shooting attack
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CNN
7 minutes ago
- CNN
The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?
Crime Gun violence Gun control Mental healthFacebookTweetLink Follow New York City's deadliest shooting in 25 years – in a state with some of the toughest gun laws in the nation – is raising questions about how a gunman with a history of mental health issues was able to obtain multiple firearms and drive undetected across several states to carry out the attack. The gunman who walked into a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday, M4 assault-style rifle in hand, and sprayed it with gunfire, had a license to carry a concealed weapon in his home state of Nevada, officials said. He also had been placed on psychiatric hold in 2022 and 2024, law enforcement sources told CNN. But that may not have necessarily prohibited him from obtaining his license in 2022 or buying firearms – depending on the circumstances of the holds, according to gun law experts. Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, killed four people at the 345 Park Avenue office building and injured another before he died by suicide, police said. While public health experts continue to stress that the vast majority of people experiencing mental health challenges are not violent, questions remain about the details of Tamura's psychiatric holds and if they would have shown up in a background check. The case underscores the wide gap in sharing mental health data with the federal government – an issue that can be attributed to inadequate funding to manage or require the data, as well as privacy issues, according to Thomas Chittum, former associate deputy director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Tamura had 'a documented mental health history,' according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and a previous run-in with law enforcement. Tamura was arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing in 2023 in Clark County, Nevada, after he refused to leave a Las Vegas casino after attempting to cash out about $5,000, according to a police incident report. A court database suggests a district attorney declined to pursue the case, meaning the incident wouldn't have prevented him from obtaining a gun. The case also throws private gun sales under the microscope. The AR-15 style weapon used in the shooting was legally purchased last year by the gunman's supervisor at the Vegas casino where he worked, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The supervisor then assembled it and sold it to Tamura for $1,400, the officials said, citing an interview with the supervisor who is cooperating with authorities. It's not yet clear whether the private sale between Tamura and the supervisor involved a background check. But the supervisor, who has not been named by authorities, could face legal jeopardy if the investigation reveals the firearm transfer took place in Nevada and the private sale didn't follow a state law requiring background checks for private sales, according to Warren Eller, gun violence expert and associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As police work to uncover a motive behind the shooting, investigators are digging into Tamura's history and examining are how he obtained multiple firearms and made his way from Las Vegas to New York City with the assault rifle. A search of the gunman's car turned up a host of items, including additional ammunition, another loaded weapon, headphones potentially used for target practice, two cell phones, the antidepressant Zoloft and cannabis, a law enforcement source told CNN. A note found in the gunman's pocket claimed he had CTE, a disease linked to head trauma, one that's often associated with football players, a source told CNN. New York City's chief medical examiner's office will test Tamura's remains for CTE, an office spokesperson told CNN Tuesday. The only way to diagnose the disease is through an autopsy of the brain. As for the psychiatric holds, it's difficult to say without knowing the details whether they would have shown up in a background check or prevented Tamura from purchasing weapons, experts say. 'If you were on a 48-hour hold, if you were released at the end of that, it would not affect your ability to possess firearms under federal law,' Chittum said. Most states barely touch on the area of mental health when a person applies for a gun license due to concerns over privacy issues and stigmatizing people who have mental health issues, according to Eller. One concern, for example, is soldiers who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, might be reluctant to seek help because they fear their treatment history would deprive them of possessing firearms. 'Between the lack of funding to make sure the background check system is effective for those problems and the legal hang ups with advocacy groups who will challenge this, that's a long road ahead,' Eller said. There's a concerted effort by veterans' groups and advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union to fight against the sharing of mental health records with the National Crime Information Center and local law enforcement, which most states rely on for background checks, according to Eller. 'Groups have been combating that because simply being mentally ill doesn't mean you're mentally incompetent, nor does it mean you're a danger,' he added. However, in cases where a person was declared incompetent by a court, faced a restraining order, involuntarily committed or deemed a danger to themselves or others due to a mental illness, the federal government restricts firearm ownership and states largely follow federal law with some variations, according to Chittum. 'Even when we have someone who has a mental health issue that prohibits them under the law, the next question is whether the background check identifies that. Historically, mental health records have been some of the hardest for FBI to obtain when doing background checks,' Chittum said, adding there have been efforts to improve the availability of those records in some legislation. As New York homicide detectives work to piece together a timeline of events leading up to the deadly Manhattan attack, the way Tamura obtained the high-powered M4 rifle from an associate and whether Nevada's background check laws were violated will likely come under scrutiny. In Nevada, the private sale of a firearm between two parties requires a federal background check before the transfer is complete. Both individuals must go to a federally licensed firearm dealer, which conducts the background check on their behalf. There are limited exceptions, including firearm transfers between immediate family members, which do not require this process. If the private sale between Tamura and the supervisor did abide by the law and the facts can't prove the supervisor had any knowledge of possible disqualifiers in Tamura's history, including intended use of the firearm, then the seller likely won't be prosecuted, according to Eller and Chittum. Federal law doesn't impose any obligation on private gun sellers to identify the buyer, conduct a background check or keep any record of the sale, Chittum said. The Nevada law enforcing background checks for private sales was implemented in January 2020, closing the so-called 'gun show loophole' that gun safety advocates have long criticized as a means for bypassing records checks that can flag past criminal history. Most states conduct background checks through federally licensed dealers relying on the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), while some states like Nevada have a designated 'point of contact' system that offers access to state criminal history records. Under federal law, an unlicensed person buying a firearm directly from a gun dealer must also undergo a background check, however, those who already have a concealed carry permit – like Tamura had – may be exempt because they would have already undergone a background check to get the permit. Hours after the shooting in Manhattan, Las Vegas Police Crimestoppers received a tip from a licensed firearms dealer saying he remembered Tamura sought to buy an aftermarket trigger assembly for an M4 rifle at a Las Vegas gun show in June, a senior law enforcement official told CNN. Tamura returned the trigger assembly the next day, saying he needed the money back to buy 500 rounds of .223 ammunition – the same kind of ammunition used in the New York shooting, according to the official. The gun dealer told police Tamura came back the next day with additional funds and re-purchased the trigger assembly, the official said. Tamura's case calls attention to the 'gray area' in the federal regulation and enforcement of private sales that exists when people buy firearms for cash in a private sale, according to Eller. Because a concealed carry permit would exempt an individual for five years from a background check when buying a firearm from a licensed dealer, it creates a 'nuanced area' where a person could obtain a license to carry and then subsequently be convicted or have a mental health prohibitor and might still be able to use their card to purchase a firearm and avoid the background check, Chittum said. Some states recognize this issue and routinely run background checks on licensed holders to determine if their license is still valid, Chittum said. Red flag laws, including the one in Nevada, aim to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. But such laws are only effective if the individual demonstrated warning signs so that others can alert law enforcement and initiate the process of revoking the person's firearm, Chittum said. It's not clear if Tamura demonstrated any warning signs that would trigger the state's red flag law. The style of weapon Tamura used to slaughter four people has commonly been seen in some of the nation's deadliest mass shootings and has prompted renewed calls by progressive lawmakers for increased regulation. 'In the State of New York, you cannot buy one of these,' Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN on Tuesday, criticizing what she said were 'much looser laws in the State of Nevada than we have here.' Hochul called on federal lawmakers to pass a national assault weapon ban that would limit access to high-powered guns like the AR-15 style rifle used in Monday's massacre and slammed GOP counterparts whom she accused of being 'intimidated by the gun lobby.' 'We need a national awakening here, people need to be talked about this once again and it shouldn't just happen in the wake of a tragedy like this,' said Hochul. CNN's Mark Morales contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
He 'was coming at me with a knife': Fatal officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs ruled justified
WARNING: Some of the video and audio recordings previously released by CSPD and details of the incident may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised. (COLORADO SPRINGS) — A fatal officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs, in which a suspect who 'was covered in blood' rushed at officers with a knife, has been ruled justified by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office (DA's Office). According to the DA's Office review, at midnight on Oct. 8, 2024, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) responded to the 5100 block of Prairie Grass Lane in the Stetson Hills neighborhood near Tutt Boulevard after a 911 caller reported that his roommate had 'made suicidal threats and was harming himself.' PREVIOUS COVERAGE: CSPD releases footage of deadly Stetson Hills officer-involved shooting The caller said the man, later identified as 41-year-old Matthew Kemper, was lying on the floor of the living room and 'was covered in blood, completely nude, and armed with a knife.' CSPD Sergeant Andrew Rutter arrived on scene first at 12:07 a.m. and made contact with a second roommate, who was standing outside the home. The roommate told Sgt. Rutter that 'Mr. Kemper had attempted to assault him while armed with a knife.' CSPD Officers Noah Bartron and Kyle Mace arrived on scene shortly after, and just before 12:15 a.m., several officers approached the home with Officer Bartron at the lead. The front door was open when officers arrived, and 'Officer Bartron opened the home's screen door… while announcing the presence of law enforcement.' According to the DA's Office, 'He saw Mr. Kemper on the floor and noted Mr. Kemper had blood 'all over his face.'' According to the review, the reporting roommate was still in the front room but was separated from the officers by the suspect. 'The suspect was acting erratically and exhibiting suicidal behavior. He was armed with a knife, covered in blood, and blocking a path of escape for his roommate, the reporting party, when officers arrived,' the DA's Office wrote. 'Officers Bartron and Mace expressed they feared for the safety of the reporting party, for themselves, and for their fellow officers.' When Officer Bartron asked the roommate to exit the home, they did not respond. '…He looked terrified, like he couldn't move. He looked just scared. I remember yelling to him, 'Hey, come to me' because I wanted to get him out,' Officer Bartron stated. 'And as soon as I yelled, 'come to me,' [Mr. Kemper] lifted his chin and looked right at me.' The DA's Office reported that was when Kemper jumped to his feet. 'Officer Bartron stepped back to create space but, because the reporting party was still inside the residence, said he did not feel it was safe for law enforcement to leave.' Kemper then rushed toward officers while holding out a knife, according to the review. '…And in his left hand, I see a knife, a steak knife with a brown hilt and a silver blade that's serrated,' Officer Mace said. Officer Bartron yelled toward Kemper, 'No, no, stay, stop.' As Kemper continued to approach officers with the knife, Officer Mace 'pivoted from his department-issued taser, which he'd already drawn, to his handgun.' According to the DA's Office, Officer Mace stated he threw his taser and reached for his gun because, '[The taser] takes two probes to hit and be effective. I didn't want to risk serious bodily injury or death to myself, my partner, or the innocent.' '[Mr. Kemper] was coming at me with a knife, and I was afraid if he wasn't stopped, he was going to hurt me, my partner, or the other person in the room,' said Officer Bartron. Officer Bartron fired four rounds from his duty handgun at Kemper, who was hit multiple times and collapsed to the floor, the DA's Office wrote. 'He did not respond to commands to stop. Officers Bartron and Mace stated they were in fear for their lives, their fellow officers' lives, and the life of the reporting party,' according to the review. The reporting roommate was led outside of the house by Officer Mace while officers on scene rendered medical aid to Kemper before medical personnel arrived. 'Despite the lifesaving efforts from CSPD officers and CSFD personnel, Mr. Kemper died at the scene,' wrote the DA's Office. 'Following an autopsy, [the] El Paso County Coroner's Office determined Kemper died as the result of multiple gunshot wounds.' According to the toxicology panel, Kemper had marijuana in his system at the time of his death. The DA's Office said Officers Bartron and Mace were both equipped with body-worn cameras, but the equipment did not function correctly. The body-worn camera on Sgt. Rutter, however, did function correctly and recorded events normally. 'This information was raised with the BWC vendor, who stated this disruption was the result of a bug in their reporting system, which had been identified and resolved,' wrote the DA's Office regarding the remote activation failures and temporary interruption in device connectivity. After completing a thorough review of the facts and evidence, Colorado's 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office has determined the use of deadly physical force by Colorado Springs Police Officer Noah Bartron on October 8, 2024, was justified, based on all the facts and circumstances of this case under the laws of the State of Colorado. No charges will be filed based on the statutes outlined previously, as well as the necessary application of ethical rules. 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; this service provides 24/7 confidential support for anyone in crisis or emotional distress. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sheriff Says Someone 'Sympathetic' to Travis Decker Is Possibly Helping Him Evade Law Enforcement (Exclusive)
The manhunt for Travis Decker began on June 2 after his three daughters were found asphyxiated in a remote area of the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, TO KNOW The manhunt for Travis Decker began on June 2 after his three daughters were found dead in a remote area of the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash. Since then, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, along with search and rescue organizations, have conducted an exhaustive search for Decker in the surrounding counties Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison tells PEOPLE that there's the "potential that he could have someone that was just more sympathetic to him and is providing him assistance"As the search for Travis Decker — the man suspected of killing his three daughters nearly two months ago — continues, the Washington Sheriff leading the investigation says it's possible someone is helping the former combat veteran evade the law. 'Certainly, [there's the] potential that he could have someone that was just more sympathetic to him and is providing him assistance,' Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison tells PEOPLE. 'We put the message out that we don't think that's a wise decision, but we get that everyone's going to make their own choices.' The sheriff's office, along with search and rescue organizations, have conducted an exhaustive search for Decker in the surrounding counties. The manhunt began on June 2 after his three daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found asphyxiated in a remote area of the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash. Decker's pickup truck was found at the campground, but the 32-year-old murder suspect was nowhere to be found. Decker had picked up the girls on May 30 for a court-approved visit but failed to return them to their mother. The mom, Whitney Decker, reported her daughters missing to police later that night, setting off a frantic search for the four missing people. On Friday, July 25, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said they were scaling back the search for Decker due to a 'decrease in leads and tips' into Decker's location. The office said 'there is insufficient information to suggest that he is alive, nor if he is deceased." Morrison tells PEOPLE 'there's still a potential' that Decker is alive. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 'Unless he's accounted for, there's still the potential that he could be alive and still actively fleeing from us,' he says. 'Right now, you're in a pretty leisurely time for our county that you could be outdoors and probably live decently comfortable." "We get that the probability that if he is still out there, he's going to be looking to obtain supplies, food, other resources, which right now we're not getting any reports of anything like that missing," Morrison says. "The probability of him just surviving off foraging or trapping — not likely." Morrison says he can't discount the possibility that Decker may have hitchhiked out of the area or gotten picked up by someone. 'Could be a potential,' he says. 'There are roads in the area that he could have made it to. And if someone wasn't paying attention, they might've provided a ride to him not knowing what he was associated with. Or maybe they did know, and they did provide him a ride.' The most recent search for Decker was conducted in the Blewett Pass area in the Wenatchee Mountains. There were two possible sightings of Decker — one in June and another in July — but authorities have since confirmed they were not him. Authorities have also previously said Decker may have attempted to cross into Canada because he allegedly searched "how to relocate to Canada" online, according to a U.S. Marshals Service affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. 'We're frustrated because, certainly, we'd like to have closure not only for our community, but for the family,' says Morrison. 'And with the amount of resources we put in there, I was kind of hopeful that we would've gotten something. This could be a longer, drawn-out search and we're still optimistic that we will get closure." Decker is wanted on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
