New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday said the gunman who killed four people inside a Manhattan office building was trying to target employees at the NFL’s headquarters, but wound up taking the wrong elevator.
Authorities said the shooter, 27-year-old Shane Tamura, had a note saying he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a brain disease associated with blows to the head from contact sports, such as football.
Hundreds of former NFL players have been diagnosed with the disease, which can be determined only after death.
Tamura played football while growing up in Southern California, according to media reports. His note said he wanted his brain to be studied for the disease after his death, according to The Associated Press.
“He seemed to have blamed the NFL,” Mr. Adams said in an interview with New York’s WPIX. “The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank.”
Tamura, who police said drove from Las Vegas to Manhattan, took the elevator up to the 33rd floor. The NFL’s headquarters are located on the fifth floor of the tower that also houses the financial companies Blackstone and KPMG.
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The killer’s grievance offers a potential motive for why police said he fatally shot four people Monday night inside the Midtown skyscraper.
Authorities said the victims included NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, who was off duty but in uniform while working security.
Local media reports identified the two slain women as Wesley LePatner, an executive who handled Blackstone’s real estate fund, and Cornell University graduate Julia Hyman. The second security guard was identified as 46-year-old Aland Etienne.
Officials haven’t shared the identity of the other male security guard working on the ground floor.
“I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence,” President Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. “My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tamura’s attack began at about 6:30 p.m. Monday when he carried an M4 rifle into the building’s lobby and immediately sprayed bullets.
Three of the victims were mortally wounded in that part of the building, with another man left in critical condition.
Police said the gunman then took the elevator up to Rudin Management’s offices on the 33rd floor, where local reports said he killed Ms. Hyman.
Tamura ended his life by shooting himself in the chest shortly afterward. Authorities said his ID and a concealed carry permit from Las Vegas were found on him.
Las Vegas police shared that Tamura had a history of mental health issues, and New York police spotted medication in his car, Ms. Tisch said, but she didn’t specify what the conditions were or what medication was seized by police.
Officials said Officer Islam, 36, was a Bangladeshi immigrant who had been serving in the department for nearly four years when the deadly shots rang out. He left behind his pregnant wife and two boys.
“He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” Ms. Tisch said. “He died as he lived: a hero.”
Ms. LePatner’s family released a statement saying they “cannot properly express the grief we feel upon the sudden and tragic loss of Wesley.”
“She was the most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative, who enriched our lives in every way imaginable. To so many others, she was a beloved, fiercely loyal and caring friend, and a driven and extraordinarily talented professional and colleague,” the statement read. “At this unbearably painful time, we are experiencing an enormous, gaping hole in our hearts that will never be filled, yet we will carry on the remarkable legacy Wesley created.”
Mr. Etienne, the slain security guard, was remembered as a “dedicated security officer who took his job duties extremely seriously,” according to Manny Pastreich, the president of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.
His brother, Gathmand Etienne, also posted a statement on Facebook saying his family “suffered a heartbreaking tragedy.”
“He was more than a brother—he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives. Our hearts are shattered, and we’re asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time. Rest in peace, Brother. You’ll never be forgotten,” his post read.
Julia Hyman, the Cornell grad who was an associate at Rudin Management, was honored as a “cherished colleague” by her employer.
Her uncle Robert Pittman told the New York Daily News that he was in a state of shock learning about her death.
“She really was an amazing person with a bright future, but right now I can’t really say anything,” he told the newspaper. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered flags around the state to be lowered to half-staff until each victim is laid to rest.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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