A police officer and a Blackstone employee were among those killed during a shooting at a New York City high-rise

NZ Herald

29-07-2025

Police said the shooter killed four people, critically wounded another and then turned the gun on himself.
Today, as details of the shooting at 345 Park Avenue and identities of the victims emerged, communities across the city expressed sorrow for the lost and wounded.
Here are their stories.
Didarul Islam, 36
A native of Bangladesh, Didarul Islam immigrated to the US before joining the NYPD as an officer three-and-a-half years ago, the department said.
Islam was assigned to the 47th Precinct in the Bronx but was moonlighting as uniformed private security at 345 Park Ave.
He was married with two young sons, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters, adding that Islam's wife is pregnant with the couple's third child.
'He was doing the job that we asked him to do,' Tisch said. '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 this city. He died as he lived: a hero.'
New York Mayor Eric Adams praised Islam's service, saying the officer 'embodies what this city is all about'.
'He's a true-blue New Yorker, not only in the uniform he wore, but in spirit and energy of loving this city.'
NYPD officers lined the streets of Manhattan to salute the transport vehicle carrying Islam's body.
In the Bronx, Islam's death sent ripples through the borough's tight-knit Bangladeshi community – a slice of New York where the officer was often spotted at restaurants on Sterling Ave and walking to the Parkchester Islamic Centre.
'I used to see him a lot on the street,' said 29-year-old Tanjim Talukder. 'We used to walk to mosque together.'
The men would talk about politics in Bangladesh, Talukder said. 'He was a friendly guy, humble. I feel so sad.'
Abdul Salaman echoed Talukder's grief. Salaman knew Islam in Bangladesh, and the men stayed in touch as both eventually moved to the Bronx. 'We grew up together,' Salaman said. 'He was a very hardworking person.'
'They are very sad, everybody,' Salaman said after leaving the home where the officer lived with his wife and children. A NYPD vehicle sat watch outside.
Across the street, at a primary school, a black gate stood decorated with blue and white roses, as well as a banner – emblazoned with a thin blue line American flag – calling Islam a 'loving parent and NYPD hero'.
'Heroes in their quiet grace/ Leave in our world, a brighter trace,' the poem on the banner read. 'Their legacy, a path to follow/In their footsteps, we find tomorrow.'
Wesley LePatner, 43
A real estate investment executive with Blackstone since 2014, Wesley LePatner was remembered by friends and colleagues as kind, generous, and well-respected in her field.
'It's hard to put into words what a wonderful, beautiful, sweet, kind, and generous soul Wesley was. We will be there for the family, and we will never forget her,' Benny Rogosnitzky, a friend and congregant at LePatner's synagogue, said in a Facebook post.
Blackstone in a statement said that LePatner was a wife and mother who embodied the best of the company, mourning her as a passionate and generous presence.
In addition to her work with Blackstone, LePatner served on multiple philanthropic boards, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, the Abraham Joshua Heschel School and the Yale University Library Council, according to her professional biography.
The UJA-Federation in a statement said LePatner was 'extraordinary in every way – personally, professionally, and philanthropically'.
Aland Etienne, 46
The security guard killed in the shooting in Manhattan was Aland Etienne, according to Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ SEIU, one of New York's largest unions representing workers including security guards, doormen, and caretakers.
Police said Etienne was shot while behind his security desk after a gunman burst into the lobby of the Midtown building.
Pastreich in a statement described Etienne as a dedicated employee 'who took his job duties extremely seriously'. Etienne, Pastreich said, was 'a New York hero'. 'We will remember him as such.'
Etienne's brother, Gathmand Etienne, wrote in a Facebook post that their family had been left 'shattered' by his killing – and asked for prayers and strength as they navigate the unbearable.
'He was more than a brother – he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives,' Gathmand Etienne wrote.
'Rest in peace, Brother. You'll never be forgotten,' he added.
Julia Hyman, age unknown
Julia Hyman, who graduated from Cornell University in 2020, was a warm, driven and passionate student, who left a 'lasting impression' on those around her, school officials said. She had just visited the campus this summer for a five-year reunion with her classmates.
Hyman worked as an associate at Rudin Management, the company that managed 345 Park Ave. Hyman started her job in November, according to her LinkedIn page. In a statement today, the Rudin family described her as a 'cherished' colleague.
Craig Clementi, age unknown
Craig Clementi, an NFL employee who works in the league's finance department, was injured in the shooting, a person with knowledge of the situation said. His father-in-law, Robert Hunter, told the New York Daily News that Clementi 'was on his way home when he got shot'.
He 'came through the surgery and there was some spinal damage', but he is 'doing well', Hunter said. Clementi is expected by doctors to recover from his injuries, according to a person familiar with the matter.