Heartbreaking new details about Blackstone executive's final moments as she was gunned down in NYC skyscraper by crazed gunman
Wesley LePatner, 43, was on her way out of the 345 Park Avenue skyscraper where she worked when crazed gunman Shane Tamura, 27, killed her and three others in a horror shooting spree.
The mother-of-two tried to cower behind a pillar for cover but was killed by Tamura, who also shot dead off-duty police officer Didarul Islam, security guard Aland Etienne, and Julia Hyman, a young worker at Rudin Management.
The colleague who was set to meet LePatner for a drink after work then came down in the elevator and saw her lying on the floor, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Another Blackstone employee told the outlet that she had a terrifying near-miss as she was waiting for an elevator to the lobby to pick up a DoorDash dinner when the delivery driver messaged her to warn her about the active shooter.
She said she copied many Blackstone employees by finding a room in the offices that requires a keycard to enter before barricading the door.
The accounts offered a horrifying glimpse inside the heavily fortified office tower in Midtown Manhattan, which also houses the NFL headquarters.
Investigators believe that Tamura may have been targeting the NFL but got the wrong elevator before he shot Hyman on the 33rd floor, where he then turned the gun on himself and left a note blaming football-induced CTE for his mental health problems.
Questions have been raised over how Tamura was able to cause such chaos inside a high-security skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.
The skyscraper was fitted with security features including panic rooms and off-duty NYPD officers such as Islam, leaving many to question why the shooting was not prevented.
'The random selection of this target is impossible to predict and really, really difficult to defend against,' Michael Balboni, former Homeland Security Adviser for New York state, told the New York Post.
'Did he know he could come into a Class A building like this and just spray the building? That's very unlikely, you know, typically.'
Many inside the building told the Journal that they were wrapping up a long workday on Monday evening when alarms blared inside, and they were sent two messages, the first telling them to evacuate and a second telling them to shelter in place.
KPMG tax associate Jon Ferrer said he initially brushed off the alarm sounding in his office, until a colleague told him there was an active shooter prowling their building.
'My heart sank to my stomach,' Ferrer said.
Like other colleagues, Ferrer said he was ushered into a partner's office where they barricaded the door and windows before sitting and waiting anxiously for the all-clear.
The sudden vulnerability has shaken many in Midtown Manhattan, where high-security buildings like 345 Park Avenue are designed with massive safety features.
After breaching the lobby, Tamura reportedly shot at one of the turnstiles to then enter an elevator.
Investigators said that they believe Tamura mistakenly got off at the wrong floor, intending to enter the NFL offices but instead got off on the 33rd floor where Rudin Management is based.
There, he killed Hyman before turning the gun on himself.
Tamura was a star football player while growing up in California and appeared to blame the National Football League for his behavior - even though he never played for the NFL
He was found with a letter on his body indicating he had grievances with the NFL and its handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after the rampage.
In the note he railed against the NFL and pleaded for his brain to be studied.
'Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,' Tamura wrote, according to CNN. 'You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you.'
The shooter was referring to former Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Long, who committed suicide by drinking antifreeze in 2006 after suffering from CTE.
'Study my brain please I'm sorry Tell Rick I'm sorry for everything,' the note read.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tesla must pay $329 million for a deadly crash involving Autopilot, jury says
A Miami jury has ordered Elon Musk's car manufacturer, Tesla, to pay $329 million to victims of a fatal crash involving its Autopilot driver-assist technology. The ruling, delivered on Friday, could open the door to further costly lawsuits and deals a significant blow to the company's reputation for safety. The federal jury found Tesla bore substantial responsibility, citing a failure in its technology. This determination means that not all blame could be attributed to the reckless driver, who admitted being distracted by his mobile phone before hitting a young couple who were stargazing. The conclusion of this four-year case is remarkable, not just for its outcome, but because it even reached trial. Many similar cases against Tesla have previously been dismissed or settled by the company to avoid public scrutiny. This decision comes as Mr Musk seeks to convince the public of his vehicles' safety, particularly as he plans to roll out a driverless taxi service in several cities in the coming months. Mr Musk's Tesla company doesn't have the permits required to run any autonomous service, even with a safety driver, and they're unable to charge for it. Tesla has been in discussions with Golden State regulators about expanding the service to California but it would be with significant restrictions to Elon Musk's promises for his Robotaxi service, Politico reported. at least five times since the start of last year, documents reviewed by the outlet show.
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Inside millionaire neighborhood tearing itself apart after American Idol exec was murdered: Illegal parties, naked women and gunfire
American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas DeLuca, were allegedly tormented by a neighbor's 'illegal' wild parties in the years leading up to their horrific murders, according to a lawsuit seen by the Daily Mail. The latest party occurred 16 days after the gruesome execution-style slayings of Kaye and DeLuca, both 70, that shocked Democrat-run Los Angeles amid rising fear and rancor over violent crime. KCAL News reported a shot was possibly fired during the most recent event directly next to the late couple's mansion in Encino, California, on Saturday evening. Now, the Daily Mail can exclusively report that their next door neighbor has been hit with a civil lawsuit over the notorious 'party house' which allegedly plagues residents in the upscale community located 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. In the filing, Ramin Kohanoff, owner of 4777 White Oak Avenue, is accused of creating a 'significant nuisance' with 'illegal parties' on the normally quiet, tree-lined, residential street - the complaint describes them as 'large unruly gatherings'. It alleges Kohanoff has been hosting 'unlawful Party House events within the past five years, regularly attracting over 100 partygoers' who are 'charged admission'. Authorities say Kaye and DeLuca were callously cut down in cold blood by alleged assailant Raymond Boodarian, 22, on July 10 during a violent home invasion when they returned home from a shopping trip. They were both shot multiple times - including in the head - with their own weapon, which investigators revealed was recovered at Boodarian's rented Reseda townhome where he lived with his mother and sister. It took four days for LAPD officers to find the victims' bodies in separate rooms inside their $4.5 million property. The Daily Mail previously reported that their deaths occurred just hours after they attended a meeting on July 9 with LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to discuss neighborhood safety amid surging crime in the area. Neighborhoods First, a non-profit punching back against the parties, filed the 'complaint for public nuisance' with LA Superior Court on July 18 - just eight days after the shocking deaths. Sources tell the Daily Mail that partygoers have to purchase tickets to attend. According to the suit, the parties continue until after midnight and include 'loud music and noise' with illegal parking, leading to 'significant garbage including food, liquor and beer bottles and cans… left on the street and on neighbors' properties.' It alleges Kohanoff ignored a cease and desist letter sent in December 2021 which requested he limit noise to before 10pm. Another letter was sent in May 2024 two days after another party that caused 'significant impacts on the surrounding neighbors,' per the filing, which was also ignored, per the filing. Separately, court records show the 52-year-old businessman previously pled no contest to a felony stalking charge. The nuisance suit, obtained by the Daily Mail, claims that LAPD officers 'shut down' a party on June 7 and 'ordered partygoers to leave'. Despite being cited by the LAPD, the complaint says 'Defendants have disregarded such citations and demands to cease and desist. 'The egregious wrongful and illegal uses of the Property for Party House events were done with a conscious disregard for the surrounding neighbors' rights to the reasonable peaceful enjoyment of their residential properties as well as the extended residential neighborhood.' Property records show that Kohanoff purchased the six-bedroom, six-bathroom, 7,400-square-foot home for $3,495,000 in 2018. Neighborhoods First is asking the court to have the parties curtailed and is seeking unspecified costs and attorneys' fees. The suit is signed by Richard Mirisch, secretary of the California non-profit and a Hollywood producer with films including The Matrix, Gothika, Black Mass and The Flash on his list of credits. The savage murders have rattled residents of Encino where celebrities such as Machine Gun Kelly, Michael B. Jordan and Matt LeBlanc have homes. Actor Josh Duhamel also owns a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom, 8,000 -square-foot mansion a short drive from the party house which he purchased for $6 million in 2023, according to public records. The new suit was filed by lawyers who work with attorney Rob Glushon, who is also president of the Encino Property Owners Association. He told the Daily Mail that partygoers often urinate on lawns along the same street, and that up to roughly 100 homes in the immediate area are impacted by the noise and disturbance. Over the years Glushon 'discussed strategies' with Kaye for dealing with the parties. 'She was obviously upset,' Glushon recalled. 'She had it worse because she was the most directly impacted.' He previously told the Daily Mail of the murders: 'We just couldn't be more saddened and shocked at what has occurred in the neighborhood.' He honored Kaye's efforts to help promote neighborhood safety, and described her as 'someone who wasn't just complaining about things, but was trying to do something about it.' She was a 'good neighbor' who 'believed in the mantra, if you see something, say something'. Neighbor Naomi Sadoun, 69, lives on the other side of the so-called party house. She told the Daily Mail her bedroom overlooks its back yard and she can see naked women cavorting during the parties. She described Kaye and DeLuca as 'lovely people. It's terrible what has happened to them. They didn't deserve this.' Kaye with Singer La'Porsha Renae (left) and producer Randy Jackson (center) in 2017 Kaye worked as the music supervisor for singing competition American Idol for the last 15 seasons - nearly 300 episodes - per her IMDB page. Over the years, she won several Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on the show. She also worked on Lip Sync Battle, Hollywood Game Night and Worn Stories, among other shows. 'We know that [Kohanoff] ignores the city LAPD citations,' Glushon told the Daily Mail. 'He's been cited at least three times and fined. He doesn't respond to our letters and he doesn't care about the neighbors.' Glushon, who lives close to the party house, declared the organization had been forced to file the lawsuits due to the gravity of the parties and because 'the city doesn't do anything'. He rebuked local law enforcement for not doing more to combat crime in the area and insisted such lawlessness 'would never be tolerated' in other cities within LA County. He argued that LA, run by Democrat mayor Karen Bass, is 'systemically dysfunctional' and said, 'Why do we have homeless on the streets when it's illegal?' Bass, Glushon said, had been 'responsive since the murders' and has directed additional police officers to be deployed in Encino, although he believes the beefed up resources are merely a stopgap. 'Right now, it's kind of hard to drive around Encino without seeing a black line, which is good,' he added, 'but we know that that's not going to last.' He previously told the Daily Mail 'a majority of people do not feel safe. Compared with other cities and populations, we have the fewest number of police officers per capita. 'We are so deficient compared to Chicago, New York and other cities.' Murder suspect Boodarian has a history of mental illness, court records show. He has been charged with two counts of murder as well as other offenses in relation to the deaths. He is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA and is expected to enter a plea during a scheduled court appearance on August 20. An LAPD spokesperson told the Daily Mail of Saturday's party that 'officers responded to radio calls of a loud party, as well as one call for shots fired, on the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue.' 'There was no evidence of shots fired or an assault with a deadly weapon. Officers shut down the large party and a citation was issued.' Officers were on scene atn5:45pm and left after two hours and 40 minutes. When contacted by the Daily Mail, Kohanoff said he was unaware of the lawsuit. He added that he had told an LAPD officer on Saturday that he would stop hosting the parties. 'I told them I'm not going to do it anymore,' he said, adding that 'someone else' had organized the Saturday event. He declined to comment about the murders of his neighbors other than to say 'I was in Vegas' when they occurred.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Four killed in Montana bar shooting that is US's ninth mass murder of 2025
Four people were killed on Friday in a shooting at a Montana bar, prompting a lockdown in a neighborhood several miles away as authorities searched a wooded area for a suspect in the case. The shooting brought the number of mass murders so far this year in the US to nine, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-partisan resource which defines such cases as killings in which four or more victims are killed. All those mass murders were shootings, and four have occurred in a 30-day period beginning 2 July. It was the US's second mass murder since Monday, when a man attacked a New York City skyscraper housing the National Football League's headquarters and shot four people dead before dying by suicide. Friday's mass murder in Montana happened at about 10.30am at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, according to the state's division of criminal investigation. The agency, which is leading the investigation into the shooting, confirmed four people were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, who was identified as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, lived nextdoor to the bar, according to public records. Authorities said a tactical team cleared Brown's home and that he was last seen in the Stump Town area just west of Anaconda. More than a dozen officers from local and state police converged on that area, locking it down so no one was allowed in or out. A helicopter also hovered over a nearby mountainside as officers moved among the trees, Randy Clark – a retired police officer who lives there – told the Associated Press. Brown was believed to be armed, the Montana highway patrol said in a statement. As reports of the shooting spread through town, business owners locked their doors and sheltered inside with customers. At Caterpillars to Butterflies Childcare, a nursery a few blocks from the shooting scene, owner Sage Huot said she had kept the children inside all day after someone called to let her know about the violence. 'We're constantly doing practice drills, fire drills and active shooter drills, so we locked down the facility, locked the doors, and we have a quiet spot where we play activities away from all of our windows and doors,' Huot said. Anaconda is about 75 miles (120km) south-east of Missoula. A town of about 9,000 people in a valley hemmed in by mountains, it was founded by copper barons who profited off nearby mines in the late 1800s. A defunct smelter stack looms over the valley. The owner of the Firefly Cafe in Anaconda said she locked up her business at about 11am on Friday after being alerted to the shooting by a friend. 'We are Montana, so guns are not new to us,' cafe owner Barbie Nelson said. 'For our town to be locked down, everybody's pretty rattled.' Associated Press contributed reporting
