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What to know about the shooting at a New York City office tower that killed 4

What to know about the shooting at a New York City office tower that killed 4

Independent10 hours ago
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A man with a rifle killed an off-duty New York City police officer and three other people before taking his own life at a Manhattan office tower on Monday, according to officials.
Law enforcement officials were working to unravel what took place and why this location may have been targeted in a city that had recently announced it was on pace to have its fewest people hurt by gunfire than any year in recent decades.
Here are some things to know:
What happened?
A man exited a double parked BMW with an M4 rifle and then walked toward the building on Monday evening, according to surveillance video.
He quickly opened fire on the NYPD officer as he entered the building before shooting a woman who tried to take cover, police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference on Monday night. He then started 'spraying' the lobby with gunfire.
The man went to the elevator bank and shot a security guard who was taking cover behind a security desk and also another man in the lobby, Tisch said.
The man took the elevator to the 33rd floor to a real estate management company and one person was shot and killed on that floor. The man then walked down a hallway and shot himself, she said.
What do we know about the gunman?
Police identified Shane Tamura of Las Vegas as the gunman, although his motive and reasoning for targeting the building was not immediately clear.
Tamura had a 'documented mental health history,' Tisch said.
His vehicle had traveled across the U.S. through Colorado on July 26 and then Nebraska and Iowa on July 27. It arrived in Columbia, New Jersey, as recently as Monday afternoon, before making it to New York City, she said.
Officers found a rifle case, a revolver, magazines and ammunition in his car, Tisch said.
No one answered the door at the address listed for Tamura in Las Vegas.
Who were the victims?
Didarul Islam, 36, had served as a police officer in New York City for 3 1/2 years. He was an immigrant from Bangladesh.
Islam was married and had two young boys, Tisch said. His wife is pregnant with their third child.
The names of the other victims, along with a man who was seriously wounded and remains in critical condition, have not yet been released.
Where did the shooting happen?
The shooting took place at 345 Park Avenue, a commercial office building in a busy area of midtown that is just a short walk north from Grand Central Terminal and about a block east of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
The building's tenants include the NFL and Rudin Management, as well as finance companies KPMG and Blackstone. It also includes the consulate general of Ireland.
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday reacted to the shooting in Midtown Manhattan that resulted in the deaths of four people at Blackstone's New York headquarters on Monday evening. 'I trust our law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence,' Trump wrote on social media about the deadliest mass shooting in his 'beloved' native city in 25 years. Shane Tamura, 27, walked into the 345 Park Avenue office building and opened fire with an M4 rifle, killing a security guard and a woman in the lobby, according to reports. He also shot and killed NYPD officer Didarul Islam and Wesley LePatner, a 43 year-old senior managing director at Blackstone. NYPD police officer Islam, 36, had two young sons, and his wife is pregnant with their third child. The president issued his statement on social media as he is currently in Scotland opening a new golf course and holding meetings on trade deals in Europe. After opening fire in the lobby, Tamura traveled on an elevator to the building's 33rd floor offices. 'From our preliminary investigation, he took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters,' New York City Eric Adams told CBS. 'Instead, it took him to Rudin Management, and that is where he carried out additional shootings and took the lives of additional employees.' The shooting rampage ended when Tamura turned the gun on himself, committing suicide. Tamura was found with a letter on his body that ranted against the NFL and its handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). 'Study my brain please I'm sorry Tell Rick I'm sorry for everything,' the note read. The NFL has offices on the fifth floor of the office building, which Tamura did not reach during his rampage. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed to employees, however, that a staff member was 'seriously injured,' in the attack. Tamura was a standout football player in High School but had a 'documented mental health history' according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. He played football high school in Southern California as he attended Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita and Granada Hills Charter High School. Tamura then moved to Las Vegas where he earned his Nevada concealed carry permit. He was also issued a work card by the Nevada Private Investigators Licensing Board. He drove from Las Vegas to New York last weekend to execute his premeditated attack, law enforcement officials confirmed.

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Moment terrified Blackstone hedge fund staff desperately build make-shift barricades to stop NYC gunman breaking in as he killed four in Manhattan skyscraper massacre

This is the moment terrified Blackstone staff desperately scrambled to build make-shift barricades as their Manhattan offices were attacked by a vicious gunman who killed four people during his rampage. Workers in officewear stacked piles of sofas, computers and chairs on top of each other as Nevada man Shane Tamura tore through the 345 Park Avenue skyscraper on Monday night with an M4-style rifle, killing several people. The pile of furniture was stacked as high as the ceiling of the 32nd floor of the building, which is also home to the National Football League and auditor KPMG. The area hosts several five-star business hotels, as well as the United Nations ' headquarters. According to local media, panicking workers even started pulling wood desks apart to add more bulk to the barrier. Tamura, the gunman, was seen carrying an M4 assault rifle killed four people, including a police officer, when he opened fire in broad daylight in the heart of New York City, before taking his own life. In terrifying security camera photos, the gunman could be seen striding into the midtown Manhattan office building wearing a sport coat and button-down shirt while openly carrying the large rifle by his side. Tamura was a former high school football player with a history of mental health issues, the gunman had traveled across the country in the days leading up to the shooting, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. It was also revealed that the gunman had recently been fired as a security guard at a casino in Las Vegas. Tamura had a silencer on his rifle when he opened fire inside the lobby at around 6.30pm, according to CNN. The firearm also had a scope and strap. Shane Tamura, 27, was caught on chilling surveillance footage wearing a sport coat and button-down shirt while carrying a large M4 assault rifle into the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan Monday evening NYPD officer Didarul Islam, 36, who had been on the force for three years, was working private security at the time on his day off. He was shot and killed in the lobby of the building. The man went to the elevator bank and shot a security guard who was taking cover behind a security desk and also another man in the lobby, Tisch said. The man took the elevator to the 33rd floor to a real estate management company and one person was shot and killed on that floor. The man then walked down a hallway and shot himself, she said. Tamura, 27, was found with a letter on his body indicating he had grievances with the NFL and its handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after the rampage at 345 Park Avenue. In the note he railed against the NFL and pleaded for his brain to be studied. 'Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,' Tamura wrote, according to CNN. 'You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you.' The shooter was referring to former Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Long, who committed suicide by drinking antifreeze in 2006 after suffering from CTE. 'Study my brain please I'm sorry Tell Rick I'm sorry for everything,' the note read. Authorities say Tamura travelled all the way from his home in Las Vegas in his black BMW, passing through Colorado on July 26 and making his way through New Jersey to Manhattan. He was then caught on chilling surveillance footage wearing a sport coat and button-down shirt while carrying a large assault rifle into the building, which houses the headquarters for the NFL. The gunman then opened fire inside the lobby just before 6.30pm. Tamura had been a star football player in high school, obsessed with the game and once on a path that suggested a future defined by discipline and teamwork. During his senior year, he even earned six Player of the Game awards and registered 126 carries for 616 rushing yards and five touchdowns in nine appearances. But in more recent years, Tamura had a 'documented mental health history,' NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed at a news conference. Yet Tamura earned a private investigator's license and was able to obtain a concealed carry permit to carry firearms, both legally granted through the Las Vegas Sheriff's Department. He had the license on him when he marched into the building and opened fire. Officer Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old father-of-two who was working private security at the time, was then shot in the back and killed and an unidentified security guard who took cover behind a desk was also targeted. From there, police say Tamura took the elevator up to the 33rd floor and the offices of Rudin Management, which operates the building, and shot and killed a third victim before taking his own life. The National Football League headquarters are on the fifth floor of the building, which law enforcement officials say Tamura did not travel to. However, an employee of the league was 'seriously injured,' according to a memo to staff written by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and obtained by CNN. He said the unidentified employee was rushed to the hospital, where other league employees are comforting his family. All of the other employees are believed to be safe and accounted for, Goodell said, as he vowed to boost security at the league's headquarters 'in the days and weeks to come.' In the meantime, police in New York City and in Nevada are continuing to comb Tamura's social media presence and are rifling through his Las Vegas home to collect evidence pointing to a motive. They have already found a rifle case with rounds, a loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines, as well as a backpack and medication prescribed to him inside his vehicle. It is now believed Tamura was the sole shooter in the broad daylight attack, as police say there is no evidence he had an accomplice. Still, officers are continuing to work to determine whether anyone may have helped plan or facilitate his movements across state lines or into the high-security office tower, which was put on lockdown as heavily-armed police officers swarmed the floors. Photos from the scene showed scores of people in business attire frantically leaving with their hands up, as others inside the building barricaded the doors with furniture to prevent Tamura from entering. The shooting also led to a chaotic scene in Midtown Manhattan, with nearby worker Anna Smith, who had just stepped out to grab dinner, describing the 'crowd panic' that wafted over the area. 'People just started running,' she said. 'We had no idea what was going on.' Another witness told The New York Post that 'it sounded like a barrage of shots …Like an automatic weapon. Like a high-capacity weapon.' Another person told the paper that a 'guy came in with an assault rifle and started shooting.' A shocking image showed the victim splayed out on the floor of the office building after he suffered the self-inflicted gunshot wound. His bloodied weapon, which was equipped with a silencer, was found nearby. Meanwhile, the city's emergency management system issued alerts about road closures, subway disruptions, and traffic delays around Grand Central Terminal and St. Patrick's Cathedral - both just blocks from the shooting scene. As night fell, many turned their attention to the loss of Officer Islam, who was working in private security for Rudin Management Company Monday night, according to The New York Post. He regularly works in the Bronx's 47th precinct 'He was doing what he does best, as all members of the police department carry out he was saving lives,' New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at an evening news conference. 'He was protecting New Yorkers. He's an immigrant from Bangladesh, and he loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person.' NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said that Islam 'died as he lived: a hero.' 'He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm's way, he made the ultimate sacrifice — shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to the city,' Tisch added. At least four people were killed in the attack, and a fifth is fighting for their life 'I want to extend my profound sympathies to all of the victims and their families and to the brave NYPD cops who today lost a brother,' she concluded. Patrick Hendry, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, called the loss 'devastating.' 'He was a hardworking police officer who was proud we know from hearing from his family to put on that uniform and shield of a New York City police officer, Hendry said. 'Every day, he went out and did his job, and he went out every single day to provide for his family, whether it was overtime or whatever he had to do to provide for this family.' In a statement, the New York Police Department also called Islam 'the very best of our department. 'He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today,' the department said. 'We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honor his legacy.' Officials have not released any further information about the others killed and injured in the massacre on Monday. But New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state mourns ' four New Yorkers, including one of New York's Finest, taken in a senseless act of violence. 'Our hearts are with their loved ones and everyone affected by this tragedy, and we honor the first responders who bravely ran toward danger.' Mayor Adams added that the city is reeling as 'four innocent families are mourning.' Officer Didarul Islam, 36, who was working private security at the time, was killed in the broad daylight attack He said that in addition to Officer Islam, the 'city also mourns the three other innocent lives lost this evening and is praying for another innocent victim fighting for his life in critical condition. 'It's unthinkable these people were taken from us so randomly and senselessly. They and their loved ones are in our hearts.' Similarly, New York Attorney General Letitia James added that she is 'praying for our law enforcement and the New Yorkers impacted in the shooting situation this evening in Manhattan.'

Gunman kills four including police officer at New York skyscraper
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A gunman has killed four people including a police officer in a shooting at a New York skyscraper. The lone attacker died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest after killing the officer and three civilians, officials said. The suspect was identified as a 27-year-old man from Las Vegas called Shane Devon Tamura, New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news briefing. She added that Tamura had a "documented mental health history" but his motive was unknown. As well as those killed, a man was seriously wounded and remains in a critical condition, police said. The police officer who was killed has been named as Didarul Islam. Ms Tisch said at the briefing that he was married with two young boys and his wife is pregnant with their third child. The New York Police Department (NYPD) paid tribute to him on X, writing: "He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today. "We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honour his legacy." The shooting happened at 345 Park Avenue - a skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan which houses both the headquarters of the investment firm Blackstone and the National Football League (NFL). It also houses offices belonging to KPMG, as well as the consulate general of Ireland and a Bank of America branch. Sky News' US partner network NBC reports that according to officials familiar with the investigation, a note was found at the scene in which the suspect expressed anger at his mental illness potentially being linked to him having played football. Investigators are looking into whether that was his reason for targeting the Park Avenue building which housed the NFL offices. In the note, the suspect wonders whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) could have been the possible cause of his mental illness, according to two officials familiar with the matter. How did the attack unfold? Ms Tisch said surveillance footage showed Tamura getting out of a black BMW before walking towards the building while carrying an M4 rifle. She said the footage showed him enter the building's lobby before turning right and opening fire on the police officer. "He then shoots a woman who took cover behind a pillar and proceeds through the lobby, spraying it with gunfire," she added. "He makes his way to the elevator bank where he shoots a security guard who was taking cover behind a security desk." Ms Tisch said Tamura then called for a lift which opened in the lobby. "A female exits that elevator and he allows her to walk past him unharmed," she added. "He goes up to the 33rd floor... and begins to walk the floor firing rounds as he travelled. One person was struck and killed on that floor," she continued. Ms Tisch said Tamura then fatally shot himself in the chest. She added that medication prescribed to Tamura was later found in the BMW he had been driving. 'Pure evil came to the heart of our city' In a tribute to Mr Islam, Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) union in New York, said at the briefing: "Pure evil came to the heart of our city and struck innocent people - and one of our police officers who was protecting those people... our hero brother who gave his life for this city." Nekeisha Lewis, who was eating dinner in the plaza of the building at the time of the shooting, said: "We heard the shots, I looked up and I saw the first wall of the first floor shatter. "I realised 'oh my God' this is a shootout, it felt like you were in a war zone almost. I saw a worker run out, he was running so frantically I thought he was just trying to get away. "By the time he got to us he said 'help, help, I've been shot'. I turned to my left and looked at him and saw he had a wound in his back..." She added that the police then took over and helped the man get treatment. The NYPD had urged people to avoid the vicinity of East 52 Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue as they searched for the suspect. It came as Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, said its agents were "responding to provide support at the active crime scene in Manhattan". Ms Tisch later wrote on X: "UPDATE: At this time, the scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralized." The Fire Department of New York said emergency crews were called to the Park Avenue office building on Monday evening following a report of someone being shot. A spokesperson said the call came in at around 6.30pm local time (11.30pm UK time). New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier wrote on X: "New Yorkers: there is an active shooter investigation taking place in Midtown right now. Please take proper safety precautions if you are in vicinity and do not go outside if you are near Park Avenue and East 51st Street."

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