A gunman who killed multiple people after storming an office building in New York was the son of an LA police officer, according to reports. Shane Tamura fatally shot four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer, before killing himself at the office tower in midtown Manhattan on Monday.
Police said the 27-year-old, who had a history of mental illness, had intended to target the offices of the NFL, which he accused of hiding the dangers of brain injuries linked to contact sports, but he took the wrong lift. Officers are investigating claims Tamura — who never played the sport professionally but was a talented youngster — included in a handwritten note he left behind, in which he said he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. Authorities say Tamura drove cross-country from Las Vegas to New York to carry out the attack with an AR-15-style assault rifle.
According to NBC Los Angeles, records show that Tamura’s father, Terence Tamura, was a former LAPD officer.
Director of Public Information Jennifer Forkish said:”The LAPD can confirm that Police Officer III Terence Tamura retired in good standing on August 5, 2017.”
It claims that the California Government salary files show his father served in the force from at least 2011 to 2018.
The MailOnline reports that LAPD salary records, documented by the Transparent California organisation, list Terence K. Tamura as an experienced police officer in 2011 with a total pay of $101,403.
Terence and the Tamura family did not respond to the newspaper’s request for a comment, while an LAPD spokesman told the outlet: “The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of the online rumors and media inquiries suggesting a possible connection between the individual involved in the recent New York shooting and our department.
“We take these matters seriously and are actively investigating the information. At this time, we are working to confirm details and gather the facts.”
Tamura worked in the surveillance department of the Horseshoe Las Vegas casino.
Questions have been raised over how a man with a documented history of mental health problems — and a recent arrest for erratic behavior at another casino — ended up working in one of the most security-sensitive jobs in the city.
Caesars Entertainment, which owns the Horseshoe, confirmed Tamura’s employment but has so far not disclosed the nature of his role or whether he was authorised to carry a weapon.
Police said Tamura had a history of mental illness, but have not provided details.
Tamura was said to have been a standout American Football player during his time in high school in southern California, where he was born.
One local news report from the time described his skills as “lightning in a bottle”.
A former coach said he did not recall Tamura sustaining any head injuries during his playing days.
Walter Roby remembered an ankle injury but said “that was the extent of it”.
“He was a quiet dude, soft spoken, humble and led by his work ethic more than anything else,” Mr Roby said. “His actions on the field were dynamic.”
An NFL employee was also wounded during Monday’s attack.
Tamura’s family have yet to publicly comment.
On Tuesday, police in Las Vegas said they were “supporting the NYPD with their investigation”.