Shane Tamura left a note behind explaining his motivations (Image: Getty)
A gunman who opened fire inside a New York skyscraper, killing four people, was targeting the headquarters of the NFL over a simmering grievance against American football’s governing body.
Shane Tamura, 27, who drove more than 2,500 miles from Las Vegas to carry out his rampage, launched the attack just before 6.30pm Monday on Park Avenue.
He was captured on video carrying a large assault rifle and wearing a sports coat and button-down shirt when he entered the lobby and began shooting.
New York Mayor Eric Adams said the 27-year-old gunman was targeting NFL headquarters but took a wrong lift once inside.
He said there were no prior indications that the shooter “was coming to New York to create any harm”.
Authorities say Tamura left behind a chilling note on his body, blaming his mental health issues on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head injuries in contact sports.
“Terry Long football gave me CTE, and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” he wrote. “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you. Study my brain, please. I’m sorry. Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything.”
Tamura was referencing Terry Long, a former Pittsburgh Steelers player who took his own life in 2006 by ingesting antifreeze after struggling with CTE.
Shane has been named as the gunman (Image: -)
The note suggested Tamura believed he too had suffered from the disease after playing football.
Mayor Adams said: “There’s no more than just the note at this time. As you indicated, he talked about CTE. He was not an NFL player.”
Tamura’s exact motives remain under investigation, but law enforcement officials said the note pointed to anger over the NFL’s handling of CTE and suggested that Tamura’s mental illness may have stemmed from his involvement in the sport.
The shooting, which unfolded in one of New York’s busiest business districts, triggered chaos and panic.Crowds of workers were seen fleeing the tower with their hands raised above their heads as officers responded to what they described as an active shooter situation.
Among the four victims killed was 36-year-old NYPD officer Didarul Islam, who had been with the force for just over three years.
Islam, a father of two young boys with a third child on the way, was hailed as a hero for confronting the gunman.”He was doing what he does best, and all members of the police department carry out,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference.
“He was saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers.”
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Islam made the “ultimate sacrifice” in the line of duty.”He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice, shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to this city,” Tisch said.
Photo from inside the Blackstone office. (Image: @X)
The investment firm Blackstone confirmed that one of its employees,identified as Wesley LePatner, was also killed in the shooting.
“Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed,” the company said in a statement.
“She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family. We are also saddened by the loss of the other innocent victims as well, including brave security personnel and NYPD.”
The two other civilians killed in the attack have not yet been identified.One additional person was critically wounded.
The NFL confirmed that one of its employees was seriously injured during the shooting.”One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack. He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement to league staff.
“NFL staff are at the hospital and we are supporting his family.”Goodell added:
“We are deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded to this threat quickly and decisively and to Officer Islam, who gave his life to protect others.”
As details of Tamura’s background emerged, former friends and teammates expressed disbelief over his violent outburst.
Law enforcement officers including the FBI work at the scene (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Caleb Clarke, a former high school football teammate, described Tamura as a “goofball” full of energy who was always joking around.
“You never would have thought violence was something you’d associate with him,” Clarke said. “You know, he could make a joke about people, but that’s just typical. Shane was a jokester. Everything he said was a joke. He had a ton of energy.”
The two had played football together in California until Tamura transferred to Grenada Hills High School in 2015.
Clarke said Tamura had seemed destined for athletic success and remembered how others often praised his potential.”I feel like it was definitely on the table for him,” he said. “I don’t think he walked around to be like, ‘Oh, I’ll have NFL games one day.’ I think it was more of everybody just telling him how great he was … how special he was.”
Tamura had reportedly been working at a casino in Las Vegas in recent years, and Clarke said they had only stayed in touch via social media.
The attack has once again raised questions about mental health, access to firearms, and the NFL’s ongoing legal and ethical battles over head injuries sustained by players.
As investigators comb through Tamura’s past and the contents of his suicide note, the incident has left New York reeling – and the NFL facing renewed scrutiny over a scandal it has battled for more than a decade.