Yesterday, a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan prompted renewed concern over public safety after 27-year-old Shane Tamura opened fire inside a building that includes the headquarters of the National Football League. Tamura died by suicide following the attack. Mayor Eric Adams, in a preliminary statement shared with Gothamist, suggested that the NFL offices may have been the intended target.
According to detailed reports by ABC7NY, Tamura carried with him a note that claimed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition commonly associated with repeated head injuries and that has been a source of controversy for the NFL. The note, in which Tamura asked for his brain to be studied, referenced the league possibly concealing the risks to players to preserve profits. Police have yet to find evidence to wholly support that Tamura had a traumatic brain injury or CTE. Mayor Adams, speaking to MSNBC, pointed out that the investigation was still in its early stages and that the authorities are looking to uncover a clear motive.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch outlined the sequence of events from last night, stating that Shane Tamura arrived on Park Avenue, shot an NYPD officer stationed in the lobby, and then fatally shot a security guard and others inside the building. Tamura had traveled from Las Vegas, where records indicate a history of mental health issues. His destination was 345 Park Avenue. Authorities, according to the Gothamist, are investigating how Tamura entered the building and the factors that led to the incident.
