NFL addresses deadly shooting at New York headquarters

The NFL has given its first public statement on the mass shooting which claimed the lives of four people at the building which houses its New York City headquarters. New York is still reeling from the devastating events of Monday night after Shane Tamura (pictured), a 27-year-old licensed private investigator and former high school football player from Las Vegas, carried out a deadly rampage in Midtown Manhattan.

Tamura walked into the lobby at 345 Park Avenue and opened fire with a long-form M4 rifle, shooting an NYPD officer in the back and killing him, before heading to the offices of Rudin Management on the 33rd floor and continuing his terrifying spree. Police later found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the chest.

In a garbled [self-murder] note, he expressed perceived grievances with the NFL and its handling of CTE. It is believed Tamura intended to target the league's offices before mistakenly heading to the wrong floor. 'The NFL is deeply grateful for the global outpouring of support following the tragic act of violence at the New York City building that houses our league office among other organizations,' the league said in a statement on Wednesday. 'We honor the four innocent lives lost, including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, whose heroism will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with the survivors as they begin the difficult journey of physical and emotional recovery. The NFL family is resilient and united, and together, we will find strength in one another as we heal.'

One of the survivors in question is an NFL staffer, who was hospitalized after being 'seriously injured' in the shooting. In a letter sent to employees on Monday night, as seen by DailyMail.com, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (pictured) said the staffer was in a stable condition.

NFL employees who work at 345 Park Avenue were also told to work remotely on Wednesday, but they were also free to take the day off if preferred. Goodell also reassured them that there will be an increased security presence at the building in the days and weeks to come. 'Every one of you is a valued member of the NFL family. We will get through this together,' he signed off the letter.

In his [self-murder] note, Tamura railed against the NFL and pleaded for his brain to be studied. 'Terry Long (pictured) football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,' he wrote, according to CNN. 'You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.' Tamura was referring to former Pittsburgh Steelers player Terry Long, who died by [self-murder] in 2006 after drinking antifreeze amid his battle with CTE - a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head injuries. 'Study my brain please I’m sorry tell Rick I’m sorry for everything,' his note added.

Tamura killed three people in the lobby of the building - NYPD officer Didarul Islam, a 36 year-old father of two, an unnamed security guard who tried to take cover behind a desk and an undentified woman who attempted to hide behind a lobby pillar. A third man was also shot and critically injured in the lobby. After his initial attack, Tamura called an elevator and went to building management firm Rudin's 33rd floor offices, where he shot his fourth victim whose identity has not yet been released. The NFL's offices are located on the fifth floor of the building.

He subsequently ended the massacre by taking his own life. While he resided in Las Vegas, Tamura spent his high-school years in Los Angeles. He graduated from Granada Hills Charter, a Los Angeles Unified School District school located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, in 2016. Prior to that he attended Golden Valley, which is further north in the Santa Clarita Valley.

According to high-school sports statistics websites MaxPreps and Hudl, he operated as a defensive back and running back throughout his career in junior varsity with both schools. In a video posted online from the 2015 season, Tamura can be heard giving a post-game interview in which he spoke of a victory with the Granada Hills team.

Shane, who was instrumental in the win after scoring several touchdowns, said in the video: 'We were down 10-0, stayed disciplined and came together as a team. Couple of touchdowns.' Tamura did not appear to go to college after leaving high school, while it is unclear whether he played football elsewhere over the past nine years.