A gunman who killed four people before taking his own life in a Manhattan office building had apparently set his sights on the NFL headquarters but ended up on the wrong floor, city officials disclosed Tuesday.
The Shooter’s Plan Goes Awry
New York City Mayor Eric Adams identified the shooter as Shane Tamura, 27, a Las Vegas casino worker with documented mental health issues who had played high school football in California but never made it to professional leagues. Tamura stormed into 345 Park Avenue on Monday evening, armed and apparently targeting the NFL offices housed in the building. But a crucial mistake—taking the wrong elevator bank—kept him from reaching his intended destination.
Police found a three-page handwritten note in Tamura’s wallet where he claimed to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain condition tied to repeated head impacts that has become synonymous with football-related injuries. While CTE can’t be confirmed without examining brain tissue after death, Tamura’s letter revealed deep anger toward the NFL, accusing the league of concealing health dangers from players to protect profits.
The note made specific reference to Terry Long, a former NFL player who received a posthumous CTE diagnosis and died by suicide in 2005. Tamura also cited “League of Denial,” the PBS documentary that exposed the NFL’s relationship with concussion research, along with the ESPN journalists who broke much of that story—brothers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru.
Four Lives Lost in Building Rampage
Didarul Islam, an off-duty NYPD officer working corporate security, was among those killed in what started as lobby gunfire around 6:30 p.m. The violence spread to offices of investment giant Blackstone and real estate firm Rudin Management. Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone real estate executive, and Julia Hyman, who worked as an associate at Rudin Management, also lost their lives.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tamura had assembled his AR-15 style rifle from parts obtained through an associate, who investigators have since identified and plan to question. Security cameras tracked Tamura’s movements as he fired multiple rounds in the lobby, striking several people, then rode an elevator to the 33rd floor where Rudin Management operates. There he killed one more person before ending his own life.
League Responds with Security Overhaul
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the attack “an unspeakable act of violence” and confirmed that one league employee was seriously wounded but remained in stable condition at a local hospital. In an internal memo, Goodell announced immediate security upgrades at the NFL’s New York offices and directed all staff to work remotely through at least August 8 while the building undergoes safety assessments.
Mayor Adams, who worked in that same building’s mailroom during his younger years, described walking through the crime scene as particularly difficult. He said federal and state investigators are combing through Tamura’s background, including his social media presence and personal belongings back in Las Vegas.
Tragedy Strikes Heart of Manhattan
The shooting unfolded at one of Manhattan’s most recognizable addresses, steps from Grand Central Terminal and Rockefeller Center. The location sits less than a mile from where a corporate executive was fatally shot this past December, adding another layer of unease to the area.
NFL coaches and players addressing media at preseason training camps offered condolences to victims’ families and expressed solidarity with those recovering from injuries. Former President Donald Trump weighed in on social media, voicing support for the ongoing investigation and sympathy for the bereaved families, particularly noting the fallen police officer.
The medical examiner’s office has confirmed plans to analyze Tamura’s brain tissue during autopsy procedures to determine whether CTE was actually present, though those findings won’t be available for some time.
This tragic incident brings renewed focus to persistent questions about football-related brain injuries and their long-term consequences, highlighting where mental health struggles, sports safety concerns, and public security intersect in troubling ways.
