Park Avenue shooter Shane Tamura bought AR-15 from Vegas supervisor, left apology note before rampage; here's what NYPD found

Economic Times

7 days ago

Synopsis
NYPD detectives, collaborating with Nevada authorities, are investigating the Park Avenue shooting carried out by Shane Tamura. A search of Tamura's Las Vegas apartment revealed ammunition, medications, and items related to an AR-15-style rifle. Tamura fatally shot four individuals before taking his own life, leaving behind a suicide note claiming CTE and blaming the NFL, though confirmation is pending.
NYT News Service A photo provided by the New York Police Department shows the gun used in the attack at 345 Park Avenue. The gunman who killed a police officer and three other people at a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday bought his assault rifle for $1,400 from the man who supervised him at his job at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, New York police officials said on Wednesday., July 30, 2025. (New York Police Department via The New York Times) -- NO SALES; EDITORIAL USE ONLY -- As the investigation into the Park Avenue office building shooting continues, NYPD detectives, in coordination with Nevada authorities, executed a search warrant at the Las Vegas home of the gunman, 27-year-old Shane Tamura, who was planning prior to the deadly attack.Authorities recovered several items from Tamura's studio apartment, including ammunition, a notepad with a handwritten apology to his family, and multiple prescription bottles.
Also Read: What we know so far about James Andrew McGann, the suspect in the killings of a married couple hiking at Devil's Den State ParkAccording to law enforcement sources, cited by NBC New York, the medications included antidepressants, anti-psychotics, anti-epileptics, and anti-inflammatories. Investigators also found a tripod believed to be intended for an AR-15-style rifle, a single rifle round, and a handgun box matching the revolver discovered in Tamura's car on Park Avenue. Approximately 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition were also recovered.
Tamura fatally shot four people, NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, Aland Etienne, Julia Hyman, and Wesley Lepatner, before taking his own life in a Manhattan office building that houses the NFL's headquarters.
In a suicide note discovered on his body, Tamura claimed to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and accused the NFL of concealing the dangers of brain injuries.
However, the medical examiner has not yet confirmed whether Tamura had CTE, noting that the condition can only be diagnosed posthumously through neuropathological examination.Further evidence emerged from Tamura's vehicle, which was double-parked on Park Avenue during the rampage. According to the NBC New York report, the car contained a large beige duffle bag believed to have held the rifle, a prescription pill bottle in a cup holder, and a cardboard box filled with plastic bags containing dozens of bullets.Investigators also interviewed an associate in Nevada who allegedly supplied Tamura with the AR-15-style rifle. Initially believed to have only provided the weapon's lower receiver, police later clarified that the man, Tamura's supervisor at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, had legally sold Tamura the complete rifle for $1,400. That individual has not been charged with a crime but was mentioned in Tamura's final note, in which he expressed regret and apologized.Tamura, who worked in the casino's surveillance department and had a background in high school football, had two documented mental health incidents in 2022 and 2024. In one incident, NBC reported that he was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing at a Las Vegas casino but later released after the case was dismissed.
The nature of his mental health history and its impact on his ability to legally purchase firearms remains under investigation.