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NBC News
17 hours ago
- NBC News
NYC shooting suspect showed promise on the football field before abrupt turn to violence
Ten years ago, the place where Shane Devon Tamura shined brightest was on the football field, clad in a green helmet and uniform as a clutch running back for his Los Angeles-area high school. Fresh off a game-clinching touchdown for Granada Hills Charter School in September 2015, the senior varsity player told a local news outlet that the team's success was all about staying 'disciplined.' 'Just hold our heads up high,' Tamura said, 'and then a good result is going to come.' But in recent years, Tamura was apparently plagued by psychological issues and displayed troubling behavior. He experienced two mental health incidents in 2022 and 2024, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. In the fall of 2023, he was arrested at a Las Vegas casino on suspicion of criminal trespassing, according to court records. Then, in midtown Manhattan on Monday, Tamura's apparent downward spiral reached a horrific climax. He opened fire inside a high-rise on Park Avenue, killing four people, including a New York City police officer. Tamura, 27, ultimately turned an AR-style rifle on himself and fired a fatal shot into his chest, according to the city police commissioner. In a note left behind at the scene, Tamura repeatedly mentioned 'CTE' — chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain condition caused by injuries to the head. Authorities say Tamura intended to target the corporate headquarters of the National Football League. Tamura's shooting spree baffled people who knew him best as a promising young athlete. 'There was never anything that would even correlate to this type of story,' said Anthony Michael Leon, who played with Tamura on the Granada Hills varsity football team in their senior year. 'The Shane Tamura that we knew — the 17, 18-year-old kid who went to our school — was nothing like this.' 'Big things' ahead Shane Devon Tamura was born on Jan. 19, 1998, in Las Vegas, though his family eventually wound up in California. Tamura attended at least two Los Angeles-area high schools. He started out at Golden Valley High School, in the suburb of Santa Clarita, and then transferred to Granada Hills Charter, in the San Fernando Valley. In interviews, former teammates and coaches described Tamura as a talented running back who kept his focus on the field and moved swiftly. In late March 2015, Golden Valley High coach Dan Kelley told The Los Angeles Times that he was 'looking for big things' from Tamura. Lucas Leppke, one of Tamura's teammates at Golden Valley, said they first met at a football camp before the eighth grade and played together through high school, making mutual friends. 'He was our guy' on the field, Leppke said. Tamura's older brother, Terry, also played on the school's team. The brothers' parents attended every game growing up, Leppke said, and Shane was known for being polite to the other players' parents. 'My mom did the team meals and she remembers every time he interacted he was like, 'Yes, ma'am, 'no, ma'am,' 'thank you,'' Leppke said. During his junior year, Tamura was having trouble academically and those issues were serious enough that he wasn't going to be eligible to play in his senior year, according to Caleb Clarke, a classmate. Tamura tried to return to football by playing 'summer ball' after his grades improved, but Tamura didn't like that he wasn't going to be the starting running back, Clarke said. Tamura transferred to Granada Hills Charter after that. At his new school, Tamura continued to impress on the gridiron. Walter Roby, who coached Tamura there, said he was a 'great player' who was 'real elusive, real agile.' 'He came in, worked hard, kept his nose down,' Roby added. 'He was a quiet kid, well-mannered, very coachable. Whatever needed to be done, he would do.' It's not clear whether Tamura graduated from high school. In a statement, Granada Hills Charter said he 'attended the 2015 Fall Semester and has had no connection with the school since his withdrawal a decade ago.' Tamura does not appear to have played football professionally after his student days. Clarke and Leppke said they kept up with Tamura on social media in more recent years, although he rarely posted. In one of his last Instagram posts, in April 2024, Tamura is seen wagering at a gaming table at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas. Tamura captioned the post: 'Wanted dead or alive.' Troubled times Tamura returned to Las Vegas sometime after high school. He most recently had a job in the surveillance department at the Horseshoe, a casino hotel on the Strip that is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. In a statement, a Horseshoe spokesperson said the casino was cooperating with law enforcement and would not publicly comment on the matter. The details of Tamura's life as a 20-something in Las Vegas were still coming into focus this week. Records show that Tamura had a work card issued by the Nevada Private Investigators Licensing Board from 2019 to 2024. The work card did not authorize him to carry a firearm. It was not clear whether Tamura ever practiced as a private investigator. Las Vegas court records show that Tamura was arrested at the Red Rock Casino on Sept. 27, 2023, and charged with trespassing. The police report says Tamura was gambling at a table, where he was approached by a casino security officer who asked to see his ID. Tamura refused, and the security officer asked him to leave. Tamura then stopped at the cashier cage to collect his winnings — roughly $5,000 — and again refused to show his ID to collect the money. Security called the police for assistance. Tamura, who appeared 'agitated,' was escorted out of the casino and into the parking lot, but he refused to leave the property, according to the report. He was arrested on suspicion of trespass after a verbal warning and taken to the Clark County Detention Center. Nevada authorities say Tamura experienced two mental health incidents, one in 2022 and one in 2024, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. The specific nature of those incidents is not known, and it's not clear whether they would have precluded Tamura from legally possessing a gun. Day of violence In recent days, Tamura drove a BMW across the country. The car went through Colorado on Saturday, then Nebraska and Iowa on Sunday. It was in Columbia, New Jersey, as recently as 4:24 p.m. Monday, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch — and it entered Manhattan shortly thereafter, she said. Security video showed Tamura exit the double-parked black BMW while holding a rifle. He walked into 345 Park Ave. and unleashed a hail of bullets, killing New York City police officer Didarul Islam, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, security officer Aland Etienne, and real estate company employee Julia Hyman. Tamura died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the torso, according to the New York City Medical Examiner. In a three-page note Tamura left behind at the scene, he accused the NFL of knowingly concealing the dangers to football players' brains. 'Please study brain for CTE,' Tamura wrote. NYPD detectives who searched Tamura's home in Nevada found ammunition and a notepad containing a handwritten message to his family. Tamura wrote that he saw the disappointment in their eyes, and he was sorry. The medical examiner's office said it does not have plans to send Tamura's brain to other researchers since it has an in-house neuropathology expert. But Dr. Ann McKee, the director of the Unite Brain Bank at Boston University, which studies CTE, said she would be interested in doing research on his brain for signs of the degenerative disease. McKee was among the researchers whose names Tamura had scrawled in his note. 'I know he played high school football, and our research does show that high school football players are at risk for CTE,' McKee said on NBC News NOW, adding that the disease can 'affect young people even in their teenage years, and it is a disease that gets worse with aging.' Tamura's former teammates who spoke to NBC News said his position as a running back and defensive back put Tamura, who was 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, in frequent contact during plays. Dalone Neal, a Golden Valley teammate, said the coaches would sometimes have Tamura sit out because 'he would take a lot of blows to the head' as he tried to run through other players. 'He was a small guy but always was ready for hard contact,' Neal said in a text message. 'For someone like him, I wouldn't even think it's necessarily the concussions, but you can get hit every play, every other play,' Leppke said. 'It's like those little hits to the head are, I think, what do a lot of the damage later on in life.' 'I feel sorry for the 13-year-old kid who I first knew,' Leppke added. 'But the adult he turned into is not exactly the path you ever wanted anyone to take.'
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
New York City gunman Shane Tamura on video talking about high school football career
The gunman who killed four people at a New York City office building Monday had an extensive prep high school career. Authorities say 27-year-old Shane Tamura was targeting the headquarters of the National Football League at 345 Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan, but took the wrong elevator bank and ended up on the 33rd floor instead of floors 5-8, where the NFL offices are located. Tamura killed four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer. Tamura's athletic career was limited to high school football, and videos show him speaking after a September 2015 game his senior season, when he played for Granada Hills Charter School in Los Angeles. In the 35-31 victory over Kennedy High School, Tamura scored three touchdowns, including a 59-yard scoring reception with 3:42 remaining. 'Right before the play, coach asked me if the 2-screen was open,' Tamura said. 'I told him 'yes. I got this coach.' I caught the pass and weaved my way down and then broke free. I ran as hard as I could.' 'We kept our heads up,' said Tamura, who had 21 carries for 95 yards in the game. "The coaches told us to let it all go. We had to keep our heads and keep playing. There was a lot of emotions and anger about this game. We wanted to win this one real bad. We worked hard and practiced extra late for this game. This rivalry has been around longer than I have been alive. It's a big one.' According to MaxPreps, Tamura, listed at 5-foot-7, 140 pounds, had 126 carries, 600 rushing yards, and five touchdowns during his senior season at Granada Hills. Dan Kelley, a coach at Golden Valley High School, where Tamura played for three seasons before transferring to Granada Hills, told the Los Angeles Times that only that he remembered Tamura as 'a good athlete.' Investigators said Tamura had a history of mental illness and left a note that was found on his body suggesting a grievance with the NFL. In the note, he claimed to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, usually linked to repeated blows to the head, and can only be diagnosed after death.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
What we know about Shane Tamura, the former L.A. football standout accused in NFL mass shooting
The gunman suspected of targeting National Football League headquarters In New York and killing four, was a former standout football player at two Southern California high schools. Shane Tamura, 27, was a celebrated varsity high school player at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita and Granada Hills Charter. Tamura played football at Golden Valley High School in the Canyon Country neighborhood of Santa Clarita for three years before transferring to Granada Hills Charter School for his senior year in 2015. Tamura did not play for the NFL. Dan Kelley, Golden Valley coach, told The Times that he only remembered Tamura as 'a good athlete.' A 2015 Times article quoted Kelley as saying he was expecting 'big things' from Tamura and several other players. In his senior year at Granada Hills, the 5-foot-7, 140-pound player had 126 carries, 600 rushing yards and five touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. He also won several 'player of the game' awards. He graduated in 2016, the site said. Walter Roby, his coach at Granada Hills, told Fox 11 that he was stunned by the news. 'Shane was very quiet. He was a quiet, hard worker. He was coachable. So whatever we asked him to do, he was doing it. He led by, you know, his actions on the field. He was our, you know, one of my top offensive players at the time,' he said. 'Could I have done more? Could I help the kid? Could I have reached out to him or could you reach out to me? It's just a lot of things I'm trying to process right now.' Granada Hills teammate Anthony Michael Leon told NBC News: 'This is so shocking. I'm telling you, this was one of those kids who never exerted bad energy or a negative attitude.' 'He was quiet, but when he did actually talk, people listened,' Leon added. It is unclear what Tamura did after high school. Mostly recently, he was living in Las Vegas. The initial investigation indicates that Tamura had traveled from Las Vegas to New York, driving a BMW cross country through Colorado, Nebraska and New Jersey over the weekend. Law enforcement said that officers searched the vehicle that the gunman left double parked on Park Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets and found a rifle case with rounds, a loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines, a backpack and medication prescribed to Tamura. No explosives were inside. 'Mr. Tamura has a documented mental health history,' New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday night at a news conference, citing Las Vegas law enforcement. 'His motives are still under investigation, and we are working to understand why he targeted this particular location.' New York Mayor Eric Adams said said Tamura was trying to target the NFL but took the wrong elevator.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kennedy's Diego Montes is part of impressive group of returning City Section quarterbacks
Quarterback Diego Montes of Granada Hills Kennedy passed for 2,508 yards and ran for 1,400 yards as a junior. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) There once was a time the City Section had the best quarterbacks, the days of John Elway (Granada Hills), Tom Ramsey (Kennedy) and Jay Schroeder (Palisades) all playing against each other. This fall, the City Section has lots of quality returning quarterbacks, making it possible for them to get some attention at a time the talent level has been dwindling overall. Let's start with Diego Montes of Kennedy. He's 5 feet 11, 160 pounds, an A student and certified baller. All he did as a junior was pass for 2,508 yards and 24 touchdowns and rush for 1,400 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had a 91-yard run. Advertisement "I have more stamina," he said after a spring of running track. "We run tempo offense, so being able to get up on the line right after you bust a 20-yard run or chip away at the defense, you're in better condition. I'm not scared of putting my shoulder down." Liam Pasten of Eagle Rock had 3,602 yards passing as a junior and has his own hair-cutting business, so defenders be nice because he can make you look good in other ways. Chris Fields of Carson, Jack Thomas of Palisades, Seth Solorio of San Pedro and Elijah McDaniel of Dorsey are the rarest of the rare — they left Southern Section schools to join the City Section, coming from Lawndale, Loyola, St. John Bosco and Warren, respectively. Each has a chance to lift and provide big-time contributions this fall. Advertisement One of the top freshmen quarterbacks in Southern California should be Thaddeu Breaux of Hamilton. At least he's expected to have the opportunity to pass and pass. Coach Elijah Asante is projecting 50 pass attempts a game. There's returning quarterbacks at Cleveland, Taft, South Gate, Birmingham and elsewhere, so that's a good sign the offenses in the City Section should be in good position to roll from the opening games on Aug. 22. They should remember there's NFL Hall of Famers from the City Section who once wore jerseys they are wearing. The names of Elway, Bob Waterfield (Van Nuys) and Warren Moon (Hamilton) come to mind. Official practice begins at the end of next month. Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
19-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: What would actually help with the youth mental health crisis?
To the editor: Guest contributors Naomi Schaefer Riley and Sally Satel present a case of wanting better parenting by pulling out an unconnected list of problems, behaviors and observations concerning teens and their parents ('What kids need — and adults need to know — to combat the youth mental health crisis,' June 17). Lack of religion, lack of strong relationships, easy access to cannabis (without reference to access to other drugs like alcohol, depressants, medications, etc.) and the increasing number of single-family households. In short, they lay out the ever-present case that there are many teens who are floundering and present their own pet ideas without much justification as to how to solve this problem. Of course, young people regularly attending any type of wholesome event weekly will be more likely to feel better about themselves, whether it is a religious service, Boy Scout/Girl Scout meetings or other youth groups or school clubs. Of course, parents paying more attention to their teens by spending time doing positive things with them will help. It is unfortunate that with all the positive things that could be suggested, these authors use an ever-present problem to steer everyone toward what seem to be their personal favorite solutions rather than attempting to suggest that parents find things that might work for their and their child's personal situations. Michael Lampel, Granada Hills
