New York City Mayor Eric Adams disclosed Tuesday that the gunman behind a devastating shooting at a Manhattan office building had intended to target the NFL headquarters but ended up on the wrong floor after taking an incorrect elevator.
What Happened Inside the Building
According to authorities, Shane Tamura unleashed gunfire in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue before attempting to reach the NFL’s offices. Adams explained that after shooting several people in the building’s entrance area, Tamura boarded the wrong elevator bank, which prevented him from reaching his intended destination.
The rampage claimed four lives, including an off-duty New York City police officer working corporate security. Investigators discovered that Tamura had struggled with mental illness, and a rambling note recovered from his body revealed his resentment toward the NFL. The handwritten message claimed Tamura believed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) stemming from high school football he played in California roughly two decades earlier.
\”He appeared to blame the NFL,\” Mayor Adams stated during a press briefing. \”The NFL headquarters was situated in that building, but he mistakenly rode up the wrong set of elevators.\”
The Victims and Those Wounded
The casualties included Didarul Islam, 36, the off-duty NYPD officer from Bangladesh who died while attempting to protect others during the attack. Wesley LePatner, who worked for investment giant Blackstone (which maintains offices in the same building), also perished in the violence. Blackstone issued a statement mourning LePatner as a \”cherished colleague\” whose loss deeply affected the entire organization.
One NFL staff member sustained serious injuries and remains hospitalized in stable condition, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed. In an internal memo to league personnel, Goodell noted that the wounded employee was receiving comprehensive support from NFL staff and that the building had been almost entirely evacuated following the incident.
How the Attack Unfolded
Security cameras captured Tamura’s arrival just before 6:30 p.m., armed with an M4 rifle. After entering the building, he immediately began shooting. The gunman first killed the NYPD officer stationed near the entrance, then shot a woman who tried to take cover, wounded a security guard at the reception desk, and fired at another man in the lobby area.
Following the lobby shootings, Tamura rode an elevator to the 33rd floor—home to Rudin Management, the company that owns the property—where he fatally shot one more person before ending his own life. The high-rise building also houses financial services company KPMG along with the NFL and Blackstone offices.
The CTE Connection and Anti-NFL Sentiment
The note discovered on Tamura contained assertions about suffering from CTE, a progressive brain condition associated with repeated head impacts commonly seen in football players. The document reportedly requested that his brain be examined posthumously for research purposes. The writing also specifically named the NFL as a focus of his anger and blamed the organization for his perceived condition.
League’s Security Response
Commissioner Goodell informed employees that enhanced security protocols would be put in place at the league’s New York facilities over the coming days and weeks. He also gave New York-based workers the option to work from home or take leave as the organization processes this traumatic event.
\”Each of you represents a treasured part of the NFL family. We will navigate through this difficult time as one,\” Goodell’s message read.
Staff from ESPN News Services and The Associated Press provided reporting for this story.
