NEW YORK — New York is in shock after a major shooting in Midtown left four people dead, including an NYPD officer. On Monday evening, 27-year-old Shane Tamura entered the office building at 345 Park Avenue and opened fire.
The attack unfolded at a busy site, home to the Football League headquarters as well as major firms such as Blackstone and KPMG. Tamura turned the weapon on himself before police arrived, leaving the city grieving and once again debating the issue of gun violence.
The incident started just before 6:30 p.m. Tamura, who lived in Las Vegas, arrived in a black BMW, double-parked outside the building. He stepped onto the pavement, armed with an M4-style rifle and wearing body armour.
Security cameras caught him walking toward the building, the rifle visible. The moment he entered the lobby, he began shooting, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The first person hit was off-duty NYPD officer Didarul Islam, 36, who worked private security. Islam, a father of two with a third child on the way, was shot in the back.
Tamura then shot a woman hiding behind a pillar, a security guard at the desk, and another man in the lobby. All three died. A fifth person, a National Football League staff member, was badly hurt but was stable by the next day.
Shane Tamura then entered a lift, sparing a woman who left as he got in, and made his way to the 33rd floor, where Rudin Management, the building’s owner, has its offices. There, he fired more shots, killing one more person. He then shot himself in the chest. Police found his AR-15-style rifle by his body.
Inside Shane Tamura’s car, police found a rifle case, a loaded Colt Python revolver, ammunition, magazines, a backpack, prescribed medication, and two phones. The NYPD bomb squad checked the vehicle but found no explosives. Detectives are now looking at his phones and tracing his steps to find out more about his actions and reasons.
Who Was Shane Tamura?
Shane Devon Tamura was born in Hawaii and raised in Santa Clarita, California. He was known for his time as a football player at Granada Hills Charter School in Los Angeles, where he graduated in 2015. His former coach, Walter Roby, described Tamura as skilled and coachable, someone who never showed signs of violence. Teammate Caleb Clarke remembered a playful character with lots of athletic ability.
After school, Tamura moved to Las Vegas. He worked in the surveillance department at the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and casino. He had a concealed carry permit granted in June 2022 and once held a private investigator licence, which had expired. In late 2023, police arrested him for trespassing at the Red Rock Casino after he refused to leave without claiming his winnings. That charge was later dropped.
Tamura had a history of mental health problems, including two psychiatric holds in Nevada after authorities considered him a possible threat to himself or others. Reports described him as “agitated” during those times. In June 2025, a tipster at a gun show in Las Vegas reported Tamura’s purchase of large amounts of ammunition and an aftermarket trigger.
The Motive: Anger Toward Football Clubs
Police found a three-page suicide note in Shane Tamura’s pocket. The letter expressed his anger at football team owners, accusing them of hiding the dangers of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a brain disease linked to repeated head injuries.
Tamura wrote, “Football gave me CTE,” and mentioned Terry Long, a former Pittsburgh Steelers player who died by suicide in 2005 after being diagnosed with CTE. He asked for his brain to be examined for the condition after his death.
Mayor Eric Adams said Shane Tamura likely meant to attack the NFL’s offices but went to the wrong floor and ended up in Rudin Management’s suite. Adams told CBS News, “He seemed to blame the football team owners for his injury.”
The city’s medical examiner, along with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, will decide if Tamura’s brain will be checked for CTE, which can only be diagnosed after death.
The shooting killed four people and deeply affected their families. Off-duty officer Didarul Islam, called a hero by his colleagues, leaves behind a pregnant wife and two young sons. Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, a mother, was described as brilliant and widely respected.
The other victims were Aland Etienne, a security guard and father, and an employee of Rudin Management whose name has not yet been released. The NFL staff member who survived is still in the hospital.
New York On Alert
This was the 254th mass shooting recorded in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Governor Kathy Hochul stressed that assault weapons are banned in New York, but Shane Tamura’s AR-15 was put together with parts purchased by someone else, getting around federal regulations.
NYPD sent investigators to Las Vegas to speak with those who knew Tamura, search his home, and visit the shop where he bought his revolver.
Workers described chaotic scenes as gunfire rang out. Windows shattered, and people hid in offices. One witness, Nekeisha Lewis, said, “It started slow, just a couple of shots, then lots of fast shooting.”
The response from police, including a lockdown of Midtown and the evacuation of office staff, highlighted how vulnerable even the busiest parts of Manhattan can be.
The NYPD continues to piece together Tamura’s actions and motives. At the 47th Precinct in the Bronx, where Officer Islam served, colleagues draped the building in black and blue bunting.
Lawmakers like Rep. Jerry Nadler renewed calls for tighter gun controls, calling gun violence an “epidemic.” Mayor Eric Adams promised support for victims’ families and action on gun safety.
The attack at 345 Park Avenue serves as a painful warning of the risks people still face, even in the most secure spaces in New York. The city is now focused on mourning its loss, supporting those affected, and asking what can be done to prevent future violence.
