NYC shooting latest: Gunman’s motive under investigation as mayor confirms NFL office was Tamura’s target

Key points

• Shane Tamura: Who is the New York shooting suspect?
• President Trump slams 'crazed lunatic' for 'sensless act of violence'
• Gunman intended to go to NFL offices but went to wrong floor, mayor says
• Tamura left crypitc note blasting NFL and claimed ‘football gave me CTE’: report
• NFL says employee 'seriously injured' after attack
• NYPD officer Didarul Islam among four killed in Midtown Manhattan mass shooting

Gunman worked at Las Vegas casino

The gunman, Shane Tamura, was employed by the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and casino, a spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CNN.

“We can confirm that Shane Devon Tamura was a surveillance department employee at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragic event. We are cooperating with law enforcement and will not be commenting further,” the statement read.

In remarks on shooting, Schumer reveals he once worked in building where it occurred

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer opened his remarks in Congress this morning on yesterday's midtown Manhattan mass shooting: “I come to the floor this morning not as Democratic leader, not even as the senior Senator from New York, but simply as a New Yorker. As a kid from Brooklyn, as someone who's walked that stretch of Park Avenue a thousand times. Yesterday, my city, the greatest city on Earth, was shattered when a gunman took the lives of four innocent New Yorkers in cold blood, just four blocks from my office in midtown Manhattan. I actually worked in the building where the shooting took place for one summer as a summer associate at a law firm.”

New York sending two teams to Las Vegas as part of investigation

New York Mayor Eric Adams told CNN that the city was sending two teams to Las Vegas as part of the investigation.

They will execute a search warrant and trace the two firearms that were recovered.

He told Wolf Blitzer the city’s medical examiner would decide whether to test the gunman for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative disease that can definitively be diagnosed only after an autopsy.

“The motive appeared to be connected to the shooter’s belief that he was suffering from CTE and [the claim that] he was an ex-NFL player,” Adams said. “Those items just don’t pan out. He never played for the NFL.”

Asked if the gunman had been on the radar of law enforcement, Adams said: “He was not on our radar at all.”

NYPD’s Didarul Islam lauded as hero who tried to stop NFL shooter Shane Tamura. Here’s what we know

The “hero” New York Police Department officer killed by a lone gunman in the lobby of a Midtown Manhattan office tower was a married father of two whose wife is reportedly pregnant with their third child.

Didarul Islam, 36, died making “the ultimate sacrifice” after gunman Shane Tamura stormed into 345 Park Avenue shortly before 6:30 p.m. Monday with an M4 rifle, police said.

Rhian Lubin reports.

Fourth victim named

Security Guard Aland Etienne was also killed in the lobby of the building. His identity was confirmed by Manny Pastreich, the president of the union 32BJ that represents security and janitorial personnel in the city, The New York Times reports.

Police said he was shot while staffing the security desk.

Pastreich said Etienne “took his job duties extremely seriously,” and called him “a New York hero,” adding, “We will remember him as such.”

Law firm confirms all employees safe

“We are very saddened about the tragic loss of life … thankfully, everyone at (our) firm is safe," said Mitchell S. Nussbaum, co-chair of law firm Loeb & Loeb, which has offices on the 18th to 22nd floors of the building.

Nussbaum, who was not present during the incident, stated that staff are working from home and will continue to do so for the rest of the week.

He said employees sheltered in place until police escorted them out last night. The final group of staff was escorted from the building sometime after 10 p.m. ET.

Report: Father of cop slain in NYC shooting had stroke when he was told

The father of slain NYPD officer Didarul Islam, who was killed in Monday’s horrifying shooting at a Midtown Manhattan office building, suffered from a stroke after learning the news of his son’s death, according to a report.

Isabel Keane reports.

Third victim identified, report says

Julie Hyman was killed on the 33rd floor of the office tower, where she worked for Rudin Management as an associate.

She graduated from Cornell in 2020.

The three other victims were all shot in the lobby of the building. They have been identified as NYPD officer Didarul Islam, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, and the third is believed to be a security guard who has not yet been named.

Gunman Shane Tamura’s intended target was the NFL offices in the building, according to Mayor Eric Adams. He took the wrong elevator and ended up in the Rudin offices instead, where he opened fire again before turning the gun on himself.

A statement from the Rudin family, which owns 345 Park Avenue, said that a “cherished Rudin colleague” was among those killed in the shooting on Monday. It did not name the victim.

“The Rudin family and everyone at our company are devastated by yesterday’s senseless tragedy,” the statement said, thanking the police and other emergency responders as well as the mayor.

“The building will remain closed today as the authorities continue their investigations. As New Yorkers, we stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of this hatred, we grieve with the families and loved ones of those lost, and we pray for the full recovery of those injured.”

Shooting occurred in heart of Manhattan's financial sector

Monday's shooting caused a significant shutdown across Midtown Manhattan, forcing employees at major financial firms, including hedge fund Citadel and investment bank Jefferies Financial Group Inc., into lockdown.

The disruption highlighted Park Avenue's growing prominence as the city’s financial centre, now housing more leading institutions than Wall Street itself.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s massive new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue is situated just blocks from 345 Park Avenue, where Blackstone is based.

Security arrangements under scrutiny following shooting at high-rise office tower

The offices of investment firm Blackstone and KPMG at 345 Park Avenue are closed following last night’s tragedy.

The shooting, which claimed the lives of four victims in addition to the gunman, has raised questions about security protocols in similar high-rise office buildings.

Most financial firms' offices throughout New York have security desks, with many restricting elevator usage to those with security passes; however, lobby access is less restricted. That may change in the aftermath of this incident. Rudin Management, which owns the building, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on possible changes when asked by Reuters.

After opening fire in the lobby, the shooter, Shane Tamura, accessed an elevator that took him to the 33rd floor of the building, where Rudin’s offices are located. He shot another person there before turning the gun on himself.

A Goldman Sachs spokesperson told Reuters that the company has “robust security protocols” throughout its buildings and is “constantly assessing their effectiveness to ensure they reflect best practices, especially based on recent events.”

Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and President Jon Gray wrote a note to staff on Monday calling the day the “worst day in the firm's 40-year history,” according to sources who saw the memo.

Wesley LePatner, the firm’s global head of Core+ Real Estate and chief executive officer for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, was one of the four victims of the gunman.

Later on Tuesday morning, Blackstone will hold a Zoom call, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Photos show desperate attempt to barricade offices in midst of shooting

Photos obtained by New York’s ABC7 show the moment Blackstone employees barricaded the door to their office with couches and other furniture as gunman Shane Tamura stalked their building.

The barricade reaches the ceiling in an effort to stop any access to that floor of the building.

After opening fire in the lobby of the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue, Tamura, whose intended target was believed to have been the NFL offices, took an elevator to the 33rd floor, where he turned the gun on himself.

Democrat calls for 'end to the easy access to weapons of war'

Rep. Jerry Nadler, who represents Midtown Manhattan in Congress, tweeted: “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic. The tragic loss of a brave police officer and innocent civilians is far too common.”

The Democrat lawmaker continued: “From Columbine to Sandy Hook, from the Tree of Life synagogue to the Pulse nightclub, from Charleston to today’s shooting in Midtown Manhattan, we must put an end to the easy access to weapons of war that continue to take innocent lives.”

Rev. Oswald Denis speaks with a New York Police Department officer outside the 47th precinct, which was the police station for the New York Police Department's Didarul Islam who was killed in the deadly mass shooting (Reuters)

New York governor calls for national assault weapon ban

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called on Congress to pass a nationwide assault weapons ban after a gunman opened fire in a Manhattan office, killing four people.

Hochul noted that while New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, the gunman was still able to bring the weapon across state lines and kill innocent people.

“Our laws only go so far when an AR-15 can be obtained in a state with weak gun laws and brought into New York to commit mass murder,” Hochul said in a statement.

“The time to act is now. The American people are tired of thoughts and prayers. They deserve action. Congress must summon the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and finally pass a national assault weapons ban before more innocent lives are stolen,” she said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul orders flags be lowered to half-staff

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered flags on state buildings to be lowered to half-staff in honor of slain NYPD officer Didarul Islam and the other victims in Monday’s deadly attack.

Hochul stated that the flags will remain at half-staff until further notice.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday also ordered all flags on city buildings to be flown at half-staff to honor the victims.

JD Vance shares President Trump's post about shooting

Vice President JD Vance shared President Donald Trump’s message slamming the “senseless act of violence” following Monday’s attack in Manhattan.

“Amen,” Vance simply wrote alongside a screenshot of Trump’s message.

Trump, who is over 3,000 miles away in Scotland, took to his Truth Social platform to say he had been briefed on the shooting.

“I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence,” Trump wrote.

He continued: “My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless the New York Police Department, and God Bless New York!”

Married mom who worked at Blackstone confirmed as victim

A married mom of two who worked as a Blackstone executive has been confirmed as one of the victims in Monday’s shooting, the company said.

Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was one of four people shot and killed by gunman Shane Tamura inside a Midtown Manhattan office building Monday evening.

LePatner was a Yale graduate and a married mom who also served on several New York City boards, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, a married mom of two and Yale graduate, was killed in a shooting at a Midtown Manhattan office building. (Kelly Taub/BFA/Shutterstock)

She joined Blackstone in 2014 and served as the global head of Core + Real Estate and chief executive officer for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust.

“Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed,” the company said in the statement.

“She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone.”

Blackstone shutters Manhattan offices

Blackstone’s Manhattan offices will be closed Tuesday in light of the shooting, a person with knowledge of the matter told The New York Times.

In addition to having offices at 345 Park Avenue, which is where the shooting took place, the firm also has offices at 601 Lexington Avenue.

Accounting firm KPMG tells staff to work from home following shooting

The accounting firm KPMG told its staff at 345 Park Avenue to work from home on Tuesday following the deadly shooting at their office.

The Big Four consulting firm told staff to work from home or out of another KPMG office on Tuesday, according to a memo sent late Monday night that was obtained by Business Insider.

No KPMG staff were seriously injured in the shooting, the firm noted in the memo.

KPMG has offices on several floors of 345 Park Avenue, where the shooting unfolded Monday evening.

President Trump says he briefed on shooting and slams 'crazed lunatic' for 'sensless act of violence'

President Donald Trump said he has been briefed about Monday’s attack in Manhattan, and slammed the suspect for the “senseless act of violence.”

More than 3,000 miles away in Aberdeen, Scotland, Trump took to Truth Social and said: “I have been briefed on the tragic shooting that took place in Manhattan, a place that I know and love. I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence.

“My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless the New York Police Department, and God Bless New York!”

Mayor offers tribute to New York's 'first Bangladeshi officer' killed in line of duty

Mayor Eric Adams said that New York’s Bangladeshi community is reeling after NYPD officer Didarul Islam lost his life in the Midtown Manhattan attack on Monday.

The 36-year-old U.S. citizen, born in Bangladesh, had been off-duty but was working a private security job in the building when he was shot dead by suspect Shane Tamura, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Monday press conference.

On Tuesday morning, Adams told MSNBC’s Meet the Press that Islam was the “first Bangladeshi officer that we lost in the line of duty.”

“Just seeing the families and friends who were there had a devastating impact for the entire NYPD family,” he continued. “But the Bangladeshi community really felt this loss and pain.”

Adams confirms six people shot, including gunman

New York Mayor Eric Adams said to MSNBC’s Morning Joe that a total of six people have been shot, confirming earlier reports of five deaths, including the gunman, and one person in serious condition.

“We have a total of six people who were shot,” Admas told host Willie Geist on Tuesday morning. “One being the suspect who shot himself.”

“And we know that we have one individual who was injured, and they were seriously injured,” he continued. “They seemed to be in serious condition at this time.”

Blackstone identifies employee killed in Monday's massacre

The investment giant Blackstone revealed in a statement to The New York Times that employee Wesley LePatner was killed 345 Park Avenue on Monday evening.

“Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed,” the company said in the statement. “She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone.”

LePatner joined Blackstone in 2014 after spending over a decade at Goldman Sachs, according to her profile on the company’s website.

The Yale alum, who according to her LinkedIn profile has a bachelor's degree in history, was the CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust and global head of Core+ Real Estate, according to her profile.

LePatner also served on the boards of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Abraham Joshua Heschel School.

Gunman intended to go to NFL offices but went to wrong floor, mayor says

New York Mayor Eric Adams said that mass shooting suspect Shane Tamura intended to go to the NFL offices on the lower floors of the Park Avenue office building.

Speaking on Fox 5’s Good Day New York this morning, Adams said that he “appeared to have gone to the wrong floor.”

After opening fire in the building’s lobby, Tamura allegedly took an elevator up to the 33rd floor, where he continued firing rounds.

“There are two different elevator banks,” he continued. “Some banks don’t go to every floor. He appeared to have gone to the wrong bank, and he ended up on the floor of Rudin Management.”

It comes after reports that investigators found a note in Tamura’s pocket sharing grievances with the NFL and claiming that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

“Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” the piece of paper read, according to CNN. “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”

The motivations behind the attack were not immediately clear.

Mamdani en route to Manhattan from Uganda: report

Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, is reportedly heading for Manhattan this morning from Uganda, a source told The New York Times.

Mamdani was celebrating his recent wedding and visiting family in the East African nation.

Gunman’s high school football teammate says he was the ‘biggest goofball’

The suspected shooter Shane Tamura was a talented football player during his high school days, former teammates have said.

On the field, the Tamura was considered an “elusive” running back, former Granada Hills Charter School coach Walter Roby told NBC News.

Off the field, a teenage Tamura was considered the “class clown.”

Caleb Clarke, a former classmate and high school football teammate, played with Tamura at a Santa Clarita high school before he transferred to Grenada Hills.

He told NBC News that Tamura “was the biggest goofball in the world, just a ton of energy, class clown.”

Clarke said he didn’t recall Tamura being a troublemaker in school.

“You never would have thought violence was something you’d associate with him,” he said.

Eric Adams orders flags on city buildings to be lowered to half-staff

In respect of the Didarul Islam, the NYPD officer who was killed in yesterday’s mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan, Eric Adams has ordered all flags on New York City government buildings be lowered to half-staff, effective immediately, as a gesture of mourning and respect.

In pictures: NYPD officers pay respects during ambulance transfer for slain cop Didarul Islam

NYPD officers salute for the ambulance transfer of slain NYPD officer Didarul Islam (REUTERS)

New York Mayor Eric Adams posted this photo to his X account as he attended the dignified transfer of slain NYPD officer (X/Eric Adams)

Didarul Islam was killed during a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan on Monday (REUTERS)

Shane Tamura drove 2,500 miles across country before the attack, police say

Just hours before four people were shot dead inside 345 Park Avenue on Monday evening, police said that Shane Tamura arrived in Manhattan.

The 27-year-old shooting suspect drove his BMW an estimated 2,500 miles across the country over several days after leaving his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Monday that Tamura’s car passed through Colorado on Saturday, then Nebraska and Iowa on Sunday before arriving in New York City on Monday.

It was not clear why Tamura was in New York City or what had motivated him to open fire inside the building, home to the offices of several high-powered companies, including the investment giant Blackstone, the NFL and accounting firm KPMG.

In pictures: Police identify Shane Tamura as Manhattan mass shooter

Officials identified Shane Tamura as the suspect behind the mass shooting at Manhattan’s Park Avenue on Monday (Supplied)

Law enforcement shared with CNN a photo of the man they believe to be the gunman walking into the building in Midtown Manhattan (NYPD)

FBI pledges ‘full force’ response in Manhattan shooting investigation

Chris Raia, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, vowed to bring the “full force” of the agency in the probe into Monday’s shooting in Midtown Manhattan.

“You have the full force of FBI New York and full force of FBI to get to the bottom of the answers,” he told reporters on Monday.

Raia said the investigation into suspect Shane Tamura’s motives is underway, but “initial checks of our internal systems have not revealed any information about the subject.”

NFL says employee injured in attack

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said an NFL employee was seriously injured in the Park Avenue mass shooting.

“As has been widely reported, a gunman committed an unspeakable act of violence in our building at 345 Park Avenue. One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack. He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition,” he wrote in a message to employees.

NFL staff were at the hospital supporting the worker’s family, he said.

Goodell added he believes that all other employees “are otherwise safe and accounted for.”

Hochul and Adams among New York officials remembering slain NYPD officer

Top New York officials have paid tribute to NYPD officer Didarul Islam, who was shot dead during Monday’s mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan.

“Officer Didarul Islam represented the very best of New York,” Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X late on Monday. “An immigrant from Bangladesh, he joined the NYPD to protect his city — and gave his life doing so.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams tweeted that Didarul “represented the best of New York City, an immigrant from Bangladesh who put on a uniform to protect and serve us all.”

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch wrote: “May Police Officer Didarul Islam’s memory be a blessing.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he is “praying hard for the brave NYPD officer impacted and all other victims of this tragedy.”

GOP congressman Mike Lawler tweeted: “I’m devastated by the senseless killing of an NYPD officer and innocent civilians in Midtown.”

Tamura had 'documented mental health history'

Shane Tamura, who police identified as the Park Avenue mass shooter, had a “documented mental health history,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters on Monday evening.

It was not immediately clear whether that played a role in the incident and police are working to understand why he targeted the office block.

Shane Tamura was 'elusive' on high school football field

The gunman accused of killing at least four people inside a sprawling Park Avenue office block, home to offices for the NFL, was a talented high school football player, according to his former coach.

Tamura, 27, transferred to Granada Hills Charter School in Granada Hills, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles, in 2015 when he was a senior, a former classmate told NBC News.

Former coach Walter Roby told the news station that Tamura was “a great” running back who was “real elusive, real agile.”

“He came in, worked hard, kept his nose down,” Roby said.

Anthony Michael Leon, Tamura’s former teammate at Granada Hills, said that he was shocked to learn of Monday evening’s mass shooting.

“I’m telling you, this was one of those kids who never exerted bad energy or a negative attitude,” Leon said.

Police said the motivations behind the attack are not immediately clear.

Note reportedly found on gunman details anger at NFL and claims of CTE

In Shane Tamura’s pocket, investigators say they allegedly found a note claiming that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease linked to head trauma, and asked that his brain be studied, a source told CNN.

In the note, he allegedly expressed grievances against the NFL – which has its headquarters in the building he attacked – and requested that his brain be studied.

“Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” it read, according to CNN. “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”

Former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Terry Long was diagnosed with CTE. The former football player died by suicide after drinking antifreeze in 2005.

“Study my brain please I’m sorry Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything,” the note reportedly said.

Blackstone executive among four dead: report

After storming the Park Avenue skyscraper on Monday, suspect Shane Tamura immediately opened fire on NYPD officer Didarul Islam, before a volley of gunfire struck others, police said.

Among those killed was an executive at investment giant Blackstone who was shot in the lobby, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

Other Blackstone employees are in the hospital receiving treatment, one source said.

Blackstone employees shared messages over email that there was a shooter in the lobby, an employee told the Journal, warning each other not to go downstairs. Others barricaded themselves in offices and bathrooms, they added.

Who is Didarul Islam? The NYPD officer killed in Midtown Manhattan shooting

New York City Police Department officer Didarul Islam was among four people gunned down in Monday evening’s shooting at the 345 Park Avenue office tower, officials say.

The 36-year-old Bangladeshi national had been off-duty, but working a private security job in the building when he was shot dead by suspect Shane Tamura, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Monday press conference.

“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,” she said.

“He died as he lived, a hero.”

Didarul had served in the NYPD’s 47th precinct in the Bronx for three and a half years, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters.

Adams met with Islam’s family earlier Monday night and told them that “he was a hero and we admire him for putting his life on the line.”

Islam leaves behind his pregnant wife and two young sons.

Didarul Islam was shot dead on Monday night by suspected gunman Shane Devon Tamura, police say (New York City Police Department/X)

 Shane Tamura: Who is the New York shooting suspect?

Suspected gunman Shane Tamura is accused of opening fire in a Midtown Manhattan office building in New York City on Monday evening and killing four people, including a New York police officer, before turning the gun on himself.

“I want to extend my profound sympathies to all of the victims and their families, and to the brave NYPD cops who today lost a brother,” NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said a press conference on Monday evening.

“There are still many questions that we have to answer and we will answer them. For now, our city is in mourning of the innocent lives lost. May their memories be a blessing.”

Here’s what we know about the shooting and the suspect:

Watch: Police descend on Midtown Manhattan skyscraper after gunshots ring out

Here's what to know about the shooting

A New York City police officer and at least three others have been killed after a gunman entered a Midtown Manhattan office building and opened fire, according to officials.

Police said the gunman, who is now dead from a self-inflicted wound, was identified as Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas.

Tamura is accused of strolling into the Manhattan skyscraper carrying an M4 assault rifle by his side on Monday at around 6:30 p.m and “spraying” ammunition inside the building’s entrance.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tamura exited a black BMW and walked toward the building’s entrance carrying the assault rifle. A loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines were found in the car, according to officials.

Rachel Dobkin and Josh Marcus have more: