Suspect responsible for slaying four individuals at a Manhattan office complex had set his sights on the NFL headquarters, according to the city's mayor.
In a shocking incident, a gunman identified as Shane Tamura from Las Vegas carried out a shooting at a Manhattan office building, specifically targeting the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL).
The shooting took place at the 345 Park Avenue skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, home to the NFL's headquarters, as well as other notable tenants like Blackstone, one of the world's largest investment firms.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Tamura's motive seemed to be a personal grievance related to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease often found in athletes, especially those who have experienced repeated head trauma.
Tamura, who reportedly had a history of mental illness, drove across the country with a semiautomatic rifle and was found with a rambling note suggesting he had a grievance against the NFL over an unsubstantiated claim of suffering from CTE.
The note found on Tamura's body also implied that he wanted his brain to be studied after his death, further indicating his connection to the disease.
During the shooting, four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer named Didarul Islam, were killed. Wesley LePatner, a real estate executive at Blackstone, was among the victims. LePatner, a Yale graduate, spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs before joining Blackstone in 2014.
Tamura entered the building at around 6:30 p.m., exiting a double-parked BMW carrying an M4 rifle. He killed a police officer working a corporate security detail and a woman who tried to take cover in the lobby. He also shot a guard at a security desk and another man in the lobby.
Despite his intentions, investigators believe Tamura mistakenly entered the wrong set of elevator banks and did not reach the NFL offices. He ultimately shot himself.
Authorities noted Tamura’s history of mental illness but found no evidence that he had played professional football or officially had CTE, only that he claimed it in his note.
This incident serves as a grim reminder of the potential consequences of mental illness and the need for better understanding and support for those affected.
[1] New York Post, "NFL HQ shooter had grievance against league over CTE, cops say," 6th October 2022. [Online]. Available: https://nypost.com/2022/10/06/nfl-hq-shooter-had-grievance-against-league-over-cte-cops-say/
[2] CNN, "Four dead in Manhattan office building shooting," 6th October 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/us/new-york-city-shooting/index.html
[3] Associated Press, "Manhattan shooting: Gunman targeted NFL headquarters over CTE claim, police say," 6th October 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/manhattan-shooting-gunman-targeted-nfl-headquarters-over-cte-claim-police-say-n1276776
[4] NBC New York, "NFL Headquarters Shooting: Suspect Targeted NFL Over CTE, Police Say," 6th October 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nfl-headquarters-shooting-suspect-targeted-over-cte-police-say/3171067/
- The news reported that the gunman targeting the NFL headquarters in the Manhattan office shooting had a grievance related to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease often found in athletes.
- The National Football League (NFL) shares a building with other notable tenants like Blackstone, one of the world's largest investment firms, at the 345 Park Avenue skyscraper.
- According to the police, the shooter, Shane Tamura, drove across the country with a semiautomatic rifle and had a note implying a grievance against the NFL over an unsubstantiated claim of suffering from CTE.
- Wesley LePatner, a real estate executive at Blackstone, was among the victims of the shooting that took place in the building housing the NFL headquarters.
- Investigators found no evidence that Tamura had played professional football or officially had CTE, only that he claimed it in his note, despite his intentions of targeting the NFL headquarters.
