The gunman who killed four people in a corporate office building in New York City on Monday before taking his own life appeared to target the National Football League headquarters inside the high-rise, the city’s mayor said Tuesday.
New York police said the shooter — identified by authorities as 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura of Nevada — entered midtown Manhattan’s 345 Park Ave. on Monday evening armed with an assault rifle and opened fire in the lobby. He then went to the 33rd floor of the building and opened fire again before fatally shooting himself, police said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in various interviews Tuesday that investigators believe Tamura may have intended to target NFL offices inside the building but used the wrong elevator bank.
“There are two different elevator banks,” Adams told “Good Day New York” on Fox 5 on Tuesday morning. “Some banks don’t go to every floor. He appeared to have gone to the wrong bank, and he ended up on the floor of Rudin Management.”
Adams said investigators found a note on Tamura referring to “CTE,” the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy that has been linked to contact sports, including football.
NBC News reviewed a copy of the note, which was three pages long, and stated in part, “Please study brain for CTE. I’m sorry.” It also referred to Terry Long, a former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman who died in 2005 after drinking antifreeze. “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you,” the gunman’s note stated.
Tamura played football in high school, but did not play in college or for the NFL, Adams told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday.
The gunman’s rampage killed a New York City police officer and three civilians, including Wesley LePatner, an executive at the investment firm Blackstone, which has offices inside the building. The slain NYPD officer was identified as Didarul Islam. A security officer named Aland Etienne was also identified as a victim. An NFL employee was also seriously injured in the attack, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. The employee is “currently in the hospital and in stable condition,” he said in a statement Tuesday morning. He added, “We believe that all of our employees are otherwise safe and accounted for, and the building has nearly been cleared.” Officials said Tuesday that Tamura acted alone and “has a documented mental health history.” He had two mental health incidents, one in 2022 and one in 2024, law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told NBC News. The specific nature of those incidents is not known, nor is it known if they would have precluded Tamura from legally possessing a firearm. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Hayley Miller is the senior breaking news and blogs editor for MS NOW.
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