A gunman opened fire inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper Monday evening, July 28th, killing four people, including a New York City police officer, before taking his own life on the 33rd floor of the building. Authorities identified the shooter as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, a Las Vegas resident with a documented history of mental health issues.
The attack began around 6:30 p.m. at 345 Park Avenue, a 44-story building that houses major firms, including the NFL headquarters and Blackstone. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Tamura entered the building’s lobby armed with a rifle and immediately shot Officer Didarul Islam, 36, who was working as a security detail at the time.
Islam, a Bangladeshi immigrant and father of two with a third child on the way, had served with the NYPD for three and a half years. Tisch described him as someone who “made the ultimate sacrifice” while performing his duty.
Tamura continued firing in the lobby, fatally striking Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone Executive, who tried to hide behind a pillar and a security guard taking cover behind a desk. He then approached the elevators, reportedly allowing one woman to walk past unharmed before riding to the 33rd floor. There, he shot and killed another person before turning the weapon on himself.
Police recovered a three-page handwritten note from Tamura’s pocket, in which he claimed to suffer from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition associated with repeated head trauma. He referenced the NFL and accused the league of concealing the long-term dangers of football-related brain injuries. “Study my brain, please. I’m sorry,” one page read. Officials confirmed Tamura played high school football in Los Angeles but had no professional ties to the league.
Law enforcement found no evidence that Tamura had been diagnosed with CTE or had any formal connection to the NFL. Records show he had been placed on mental health crisis holds in Nevada in both 2022 and 2024, and had a previous arrest for trespassing. He obtained a concealed carry permit in Nevada in 2022.
One additional victim, an NFL employee, remains hospitalized in stable condition. The attack triggered chaos in the Midtown area, with bystanders fleeing and building occupants sheltering in place as police conducted a floor-by-floor sweep that lasted several hours.
