Gunman who killed 4 at Manhattan office building was targeting NFL headquarters, mayor says
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that a gunman who killed four people at a Manhattan office building was trying to target the headquarters of the National Football League but took the wrong elevator.
Investigators believe Shane Tamura was trying to get to the NFL offices after shooting several people in the building's lobby but accidentally entered the wrong set of elevator banks, Adams said in interviews on Tuesday.
Four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer, were killed. Police said Tamura had a history of mental illness, and a rambling note found on his body suggested he had a grievance against the NFL over an unsubstantiated claim that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. He had played football in high school in California nearly two decades ago.
'He seemed to have blamed the NFL,' the mayor said. "The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank.'
The note claimed he had been suffering from CTE — the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports like football — and said his brain should be studied after he died, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
It also specifically referenced the National Football League, one of the people familiar with the matter said.
A motive has not been determined but investigators were looking into, based on the note, whether he might've specifically targeted the building because it is home to the NFL's headquarters.
The shooting took place at a skyscraper that is home to the headquarters of both the NFL and Blackstone, one of the world's largest investment firms, as well as other tenants.
A message sent to Blackstone employees, and obtained by The Associated Press, said a staff member at the private equity firm was killed in Monday's shooting, but their identity was not immediately released.
Surveillance video showed the man exiting a double-parked BMW just before 6:30 p.m. carrying an M4 rifle, then marching across a public plaza into the building. Then, he started firing, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, killing a police officer working a corporate security detail and then hitting a woman who tried to take cover as he sprayed the lobby with gunfire.
The man then made his way to the elevator bank and shot a guard at a security desk and shot another man in the lobby, the commissioner said.
'Our officer, he was slain in the entryway to the right as soon as he entered the building, the suspect entered the building,' Adams said in a TV interview. "He appeared to have first walked past the officer and then he turned to his right, and saw him and discharged several rounds.'
The man took the elevator to the 33rd floor offices of the company that owned the building, Rudin Management, and shot and killed one person on that floor. The man then shot himself, the commissioner said. The building, 345 Park Avenue, also holds offices of the financial services firm KPMG.
The officer killed was Didarul Islam, 36, an immigrant from Bangladesh who had served as a police officer in New York City for 3 1/2 years, Tisch said at a news conference.
'He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm's way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,' Tisch said. 'He died as he lived. A hero.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
NYC skyscraper that turned into tower of terror was fortified with panic rooms, off-duty cops as Manhattan office workers left on edge
The ritzy Park Avenue skyscraper that turned into a tower of terror Monday has panic rooms, off-duty cops and other security features — but it still wasn't fortified enough to stop a deranged gunman from storming the 44-story building. White collar workers in other Midtown offices wondered how safe they were at work — and landlords speculated if they needed to dramatically beef up their security — as new details surfaced Tuesday about the safety measures at 345 Park Avenue. 'The random selection of this target is impossible to predict and really, really difficult to defend against,' said Michael Balboni, former Homeland Security Adviser for New York state. Advertisement 5 Shane Tamura holds a rifle and walks into an office building at 345 Park Avenue shortly before a shooting that killed several people, in the Midtown Manhattan district of New York City, U.S. July 28, 2025, in a still image taken from surveillance video. via REUTERS '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,' said Baldoni, referring to crazed gunman Shane Tamura. The twisted shooter traveled across the country, aiming to target the NFL, which is housed in the 44-story office building, law-enforcement officials said. Advertisement 'There was very much security in that building. To have a company hire an off-duty police officer — I don't know how you get more secure than that,' Gov. Kathy Hochul said on CNN, referring to hero cop Didarul Islam, who was on a uniformed security detail when he was killed by Tamura. The 27-year-old Nevada resident strolled into the office tower with an assault rifle, gunning down Islam in the lobby before shooting dead security guard Aland Etienne — who was unarmed — and Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner. He then went up to the 33rd floor, after getting on at the wrong elevator bank, where he killed Rudin Management worker Julia Hyman before shooting himself dead, 5 Tamura traveled across the country and was targeting the NFL. Robert Miller Advertisement Mayor Eric Adams credited Rudin Management, which owns the building, and said the preparation the company took potentially prevented a higher death toll against a gunman 'determined to do harm.' The building has bathrooms that double as safe rooms, featuring bulletproof doors that workers can lock themselves into, Adams told Fox News. How the shooting unfolded Reports of the shooting at 345 Park Ave. start coming in around 6:28 p.m. Shane Tamura, 27, is seen getting out of a black BMW between 51st and 52nd streets with an M4 rifle. He enters the lobby and turns right, where he shoots police officer Didarul Islam, 36, dead. Tamura guns down a woman cowering behind a pillar in the lobby, sprays more bullets and walks toward the elevator bank — where he shoots dead a security guard crouching at his desk. One more man reports being shot and injured in the lobby. He was in critical but stable condition. The gunman allows a woman to walk out of the elevators unharmed before heading up to the 33rd floor, where building owner Rudin Properties' offices are located, 'and begins to walk the floor, firing as he traveled.' One woman is shot and killed on that floor before Tamura shoots himself in the chest. It's unclear how long the mayhem lasted. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch posted on X at 7:52 p.m.: 'The scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralized.' 'He was determined to do harm, and in a law enforcement approach, that is something extremely challenging,' Adams said on 'The Story with Martha MacCallum.' Advertisement 'The response of our police officers, I believe, saved many lives. And what Rudin management did with the building, they created safe rooms that doubled as bathrooms with bulletproof doors that you can lock yourself in and no one can get inside. They carried out several active shooter drills. And I think that actions save the lives of people because of their proactive approach,' Adams said. 5 Mayor Eric Adams credited Rudin Management, which owns the building, and said the preparation the company took potentially prevented a higher death toll against a gunman 'determined to do harm.' Robert Miller A spokesperson for Rudin Management declined comment on if the company plans on further security enhancements following the tragedy. 'As a policy, we do not publicly disclose our security protocols,' the spokespersons said. Still, questions were swirling how other buildings might tackle security issues following the shooting. 'People are scared. We have security guards but they don't have guns,' said a man who works for a commercial building near the mass shooting, adding, 'We're seeing more people asking for extra training on security and the emergency action plan — what they'd do in a situation like what happened yesterday.' Commercial real estate broker Adelaide Polsinelli said building owners might need to go to greater lengths to ensure worker safety. 5 Photos appear to show 345 Park Ave workers barricading their office door during gunman Shane Tamura's deadly rampage. Advertisement 'Until our elected officials take meaningful action to restore law and order, building owners may be forced to consider extreme protective measures — such as bulletproof entrances — to ensure the safety of their tenants and staff,' Polsinelli told The Post. 'This is not a sustainable or desirable path, but in the absence of effective enforcement, property owners are left to shoulder the burden of public safety on their own.' Here is the latest on the NYC mass shooting: A large commercial office building owner said their company hasn't received any inquiries about securities from tenants Tuesday. Advertisement But the owner made clear, 'Everyone is taking stock and can't believe what happened.' 5 A day after the shooting in Midtown New York City NYPD officers guard the entrance to the Midtown building at 345 Park Avenue, July 28, 2025 New York, New York. Another commercial real estate broker cautioned increasing security might not matter. Advertisement 'The story isn't about adding security – it's occasional wackadoos,' said the broker. — Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden and Haley Brown
Boston Globe
17 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
NFL office was apparent target of gunman in New York shooting rampage
But his plan was thwarted after he entered an elevator bank that did not have access to the NFL's offices, Adams said. Tamura instead traveled higher in the building, to the offices of Rudin Management, the company that owns the building and many more in Manhattan. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up There, on the 33rd floor, he killed a young Rudin associate, and then shot himself to death in the chest. It was the deadliest mass shooting in New York City in 25 years. Advertisement The killings shook New York, and in particular the legions of office workers in midtown Manhattan, a citadel of American finance and power. The violence came during the evening rush hour, when streams of commuters crowd toward subways and buses and walk down Park Avenue toward Grand Central Terminal. The skyscrapers of Manhattan typically have heavy security, but some employees found themselves feeling under siege, stranded dozens of floors above the street as they sheltered in place. In one image that captured the panic, a photo circulated of workers at Blackstone, one of the world's biggest financial firms, barricaded behind furniture piled against a door after hearing the gunfire. Offices around Manhattan on Tuesday said they were heightening security. Advertisement According to police accounts, surveillance footage, and interviews, Tamura double-parked his black BMW sedan on Park Avenue just before 6:30 p.m. Monday and strode toward the lobby of 345 Park Ave. carrying the rifle in his right hand. On a hot day, he wore a light jacket and sunglasses. The shooting started immediately as he entered the lobby. He shot and killed Didarul Islam, 36, a New York City police officer who was working off duty as a security guard in the building. He then killed a woman who had taken cover behind a pillar, Wesley LePatner, a senior executive at Blackstone. He sprayed the lobby with gunfire before making his way to the elevator bank, where he killed an unarmed security guard, Aland Etienne, 46, who had ducked behind his desk. The mayor said that one of the building's defenses against a mass attack was a safeguard that stops the elevators. But Etienne was killed before he could activate it. Darin Laing, another worker in the building, had just exited when the shooting began. He heard about 20 gunshots in rapid succession. 'My co-worker was like, 'Did you hear that, did you hear that?'' he said, adding that he had spun around to see what looked like smoke coming from inside the building. Men and women in business attire burst out of the doors of the building, swarming the block. As they sprinted in every direction, some yelled: 'Active shooter! Active shooter!' Laing said. Advertisement At some point, Tamura shot an employee of the NFL, who was in stable condition on Tuesday, according to a statement from Roger Goodell, the league's commissioner. When the elevator doors opened, a woman walked out and Tamura let her pass. He rode the elevator to the 33rd floor, where he killed Julia Hyman, 27, the associate at Rudin. He then shot himself. A three-page note found on Tamura mentioned the NFL, as well as claims that he had suffered from the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, from playing football, the police said. The note asked that his brain be examined for signs of CTE -- apparently why he shot himself in the chest -- and stated that the league had concealed the dangers of the game. It was not known whether Tamura, who did not play professional football, had the disease, which has been linked to repeated hits to the head in football and other sports. The disease can be definitively diagnosed only by examining the brain after death. Some people later found to have CTE, including former NFL players, are known to have experienced symptoms including impulsive behavior, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The police said they found a loaded revolver, ammunition, and medication prescribed to Tamura inside his car. In Las Vegas, law enforcement officials had documented Tamura's mental health history, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Tamura had also been charged with criminal trespass in Nevada, records show. Tisch said Tamura had most recently worked an overnight security job at the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and casino. He was scheduled to work on Sunday but never showed up, she said. Advertisement Tamura had assembled the rifle that he used in the shooting, Tisch said. He bought a lower receiver, the central piece of the gun that other parts are attached to, from a man whom the police will question about the purchase, she said. Last month, a person at a gun show in Las Vegas reported to the authorities that Tamura had purchased large amounts of ammunition and an aftermarket trigger, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter. It was unclear if officials followed up on the report. Monday's shootings were the deadliest in New York City since May 24, 2000, when five people were killed and two injured at a Wendy's in Flushing, Queens, during a robbery. Two attackers were sentenced to life in prison.
Forbes
18 minutes ago
- Forbes
Manhattan Shooting Shuts Down NFL Office For At Least 10 Days
The National Football League's New York office will be shuttered for at least the next 10 days after it was targeted in a shooting Monday, according to an email sent to employees by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, closing the office to employees after four people were killed by a gunman. The shooting took place Monday evening. (Photo by) Getty Images Goodell told employees in the email to 'plan to work remotely at least through the end of next week,' saying the office would remain closed until staffers could safely return. Monday's shooting wounded an NFL employee, who was reported to be in stable condition at a nearby hospital. Goodell said the employee was 'seriously injured' and is now recovering, noting the NFL believes all other employees are otherwise safe and accounted for. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, opened fire on people in the building's lobby, later rode the elevator to the 33rd floor and shot another person before shooting himself in the chest, according to law enforcement. New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters the gunman was likely targeting the NFL office but 'appeared to have gone to the wrong floor.' Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts : We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . A note found on Tamura after the shooting claimed he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition contact sport players and military members are susceptible to through repeated head impacts. One line in the note said, 'CTE study my brain please. I'm sorry,' according to NBC News, which reported another line from the note said the NFL 'concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits.' Tamura was not an NFL player, though he did play football as a running back at Golden Valley High School in California. Authorities said Tamura suffered from mental health issues. Among the four killed in the shooting were 36-year-old police officer Didarul Islam, 44-year-old Blackstone real estate executive Wesley LePatner and 46-year-old Aland Etienne, a security guard. The name of the other victim, who worked for real estate firm Rudin Management, has not been publicly disclosed. The New York Police Department said Tamura could be seen on surveillance footage holding an M4 rifle during the shooting and that he had a 'documented mental health history.' Local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are still investigating the incident, Tamura's potential motive and his home in Las Vegas. Further Reading Blackstone Executive Wesley LePatner Killed In Manhattan Shooting—What We Know About The Victims (Forbes) Manhattan Shooter Who Killed Four Likely Targeted NFL Offices, Mayor Adams Says (Forbes)
