Gunman Shane Tamura cited chronic traumatic
encephalopathy and blamed the NFL in suicide note found at Park Avenue shooting
site.
NEW YORK, New York — Shane Devon Tamura, a 27‑year‑old man from
Las Vegas, killed four people Monday evening in the lobby of a Midtown
Manhattan office tower before taking his own life. Authorities say he left a
note blaming the NFL for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative
brain injury he claimed was linked to his football past.
New York City was shaken when a mass shooting
unfolded at 345 Park Avenue, the office building that houses the headquarters
of the National Football League and several major firms. Surveillance footage
shows Tamura exiting a double‑parked BMW around 6:30 p.m. carrying an assault‑style rifle
and opening fire in the lobby.
Among the four victims killed was NYPD Officer
Didarul Islam, who was providing building security. Three other individuals,
including a Blackstone executive and a security guard, were also struck. A
fifth person—an NFL employee—was critically injured but remains in stable
condition.
Police say Tamura then took an elevator to the 33rd
floor—intending to reach the NFL offices—but mistakenly accessed the elevator
bank serving Rudin Management instead. He shot another victim in those offices
before fatally turning the weapon on himself.
A handwritten note recovered on Tamura’s person
referenced CTE, the degenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma in
contact sports. The note explicitly blamed the NFL for his alleged condition
and urged that his brain be studied posthumously. Sources describe it as
“rambling” and emotionally driven.
Tamura played football in high school in California
but never at the collegiate or professional level. Authorities have found no
confirmation that he suffered a diagnosed brain injury or had ever played in
the NFL.
Investigators say Tamura had a documented history
of mental illness and had been held twice under mental health crisis holds in
Nevada—once in 2022 and again in 2024. Police also recovered prescription
medications, firearms, magazines, and a concealed-carry permit in his vehicle.
Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that the recovered note
appeared to reflect Tamura’s belief in suffering from CTE and his frustration
with the NFL's alleged lack of support. Adams said the shooter “appeared to
have blamed the NFL for his injury,” based on the note’s contents.
The NFL’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, sent a memo
to league staff confirming that an employee was seriously wounded, but
otherwise safe, and said that the league is increasing security and allowing New
York–based employees to work remotely.
Blackstone released a statement mourning the loss
of its executive, describing her as “brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and
deeply respected.” The company confirmed employees were working to support each
other through the tragedy.
As New York continues grief and investigation,
questions emerge about how grievances about brain trauma and mental health
connect to violent acts, and how institutions like the NFL are perceived by
individuals wrestling with such issues.
Authorities have not concluded Tamura’s motive, but
the note has led to scrutiny over how unresolved mental health and head‑injury
concerns may escalate in troubled individuals.