New York City Mayor Eric Adams has revealed that Shane Tamura, the gunman responsible for a tragic shooting at a Manhattan office building, appeared to have initially aimed at the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL) but inadvertently took the wrong elevator.
On Monday evening, Tamura fatally shot four individuals, including an off-duty police officer, after entering the building’s lobby with an M4 rifle. Investigators found a note on his body indicating a personal grievance against the NFL, stemming from a belief that he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition commonly linked to repetitive head injuries in contact sports. Tamura had played football during his high school years in California nearly two decades ago.
According to Adams, the NFL headquarters is located within the same building, which also houses investment firm Blackstone and others. It is suspected that Tamura may have specifically targeted the site due to his complaints about the NFL. The note he left hinted at wanting his brain examined posthumously, directly referencing the NFL.
Initial investigations suggest that following the lobby shooting, Tamura mistakenly entered a different elevator bank, ultimately reaching the 33rd floor. There, he fatally shot another individual before taking his own life. Surveillance footage captured him arriving in a double-parked BMW shortly before the attack.
The police officer who was killed, Didarul Islam, aged 36, had served New York City for three and a half years; he is being remembered as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice while performing his duties.
While the exact motive for Tamura’s actions remains unclear, his prior history of mental illness and the content of his note hint at deeper issues that investigators are exploring as they untangle the events leading to this devastating incident.