The 'hero' policeman who died saving lives during NYC skyscraper shooting
Didarul Islam, 36, was shot dead while providing security for the site on Park Avenue. Officials said he had migrated to the US from Bangladesh, had two children and was expecting a third with his pregnant wife. He died "a hero", they said.
Paying tribute to the late officer, New York Mayor Eric Adams said he was "doing what he does best... saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers".
Three civilians, two male and one female, were also killed, Adams said. Details about them have not been made public. Another man is in a critical condition.
Suspected lone gunman Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old from Nevada, also died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
He had a "documented mental health history", and his potential motive is unknown.
Tamura is believed to have shot Islam dead first as he entered the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue. He went on to attack others, ascending to the building's 33rd floor before turning his gun on himself.
Full story: Four dead in shooting at New York City office building
A post on the New York Police Department (NYPD) account on X said Islam "represented the very best of our department", and said "he was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today".
In a press conference on Monday, the city's Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the late officer served in the NYPD's 47th District, in the Bronx.
She said: "He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm's way. He made the ultimate sacrifice." Tisch continued: "He died as he lived - a hero."
During the conference, Adams said the late officer was "a true-blue New Yorker, not only in a uniform he wore but in his spirit and energy of loving this city".
The mayor said he had met Islam's family after the attack, and had expressed his admiration for the late officer, who had served in his job for more than three years.
"This was his dad's only son," the mayor reflected. "I think about Jordan, my child, and it is unimaginable to experience a loss of this magnitude."
Members of Islam's Bangladeshi community in the Bronx spent Monday evening visiting the late officer's home, which he shared with his family and parents, the New York Times reported.
They described to the newspaper how Islam had migrated to the US and provided security for a school before becoming a policeman. They said their friend had been an active member of his mosque who had mentored young men in the area.
One of Islam's mentees, Marjanul Karim, explained why Islam had moved from the school to work in a profession that was seen as less safe. "He wanted to leave behind a legacy for his family, something they could be proud of," Mr Karim said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with killing a top Minnesota House Democrat is expected to plead not guilty
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man charged with killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, is expected to plead not guilty when he's arraigned in federal court on Thursday, his attorney said. Vance Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, was indicted July 15 on six counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. The murder charges could carry the federal death penalty, though prosecutors say that decision is several months away. As they announced the indictment, prosecutors released a rambling handwritten letter they say Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the June 14 shootings of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. However, the letter doesn't make clear why he targeted the Hortmans or Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived. Boelter's federal defender, Manny Atwal, said at the time that the weighty charges did not come as a surprise, but she has not commented on the substance of the allegations or any defense strategies. The hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster will also serve as a case management conference. She plans to issue a revised schedule with deadlines afterward, potentially including a trial date. Prosecutors have moved to designate the proceedings as a 'complex case' so that standard speedy trial requirements won't apply, saying both sides will need plenty of time to review the voluminous evidence. 'The investigation of this case arose out of the largest manhunt in Minnesota's history," they wrote. "Accordingly, the discovery to be produced by the government will include a substantial amount of investigative material and reports from more than a dozen different law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.' They said the evidence will include potentially thousands of hours of video footage, tens of thousands of pages of responses to dozens of grand jury subpoenas, and data from numerous electronic devices seized during the investigation. Boelter's motivations remain murky. Friends have described him as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views who had been struggling to find work. Authorities said Boelter made long lists of politicians in Minnesota and other states — all or mostly Democrats. In a series of cryptic notes to The New York Times through his jail's electronic messaging service, Boelter suggested his actions were partly rooted in the Christian commandment to love one's neighbor. 'Because I love my neighbors prior to June 14th I conducted a 2 year long undercover investigation,' he wrote. In messages published earlier by the New York Post, Boelter insisted the shootings had nothing to do with his opposition to abortion or his support for President Donald Trump, but he declined to elaborate. 'There is little evidence showing why he turned to political violence and extremism,' the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, told reporters last month. He also reiterated that prosecutors consider Hortman's killing a 'political assassination.' Prosecutors say Boelter was disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car early June 14 when he went to the Hoffmans' home in the Minneapolis suburb of Champlin. He shot the senator nine times, and his wife eight times, officials said. Boelter later went to the Hortmans' home in nearby Brooklyn Park and killed both of them, authorities said. Their dog was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized. Boelter surrendered the next night.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Second person arrested for throwing sex toy at WNBA game, allegedly hit man and his 9-year-old niece in stands
A second man has been arrested for throwing a green sex toy at a WNBA game, a trend in which there are now five known incidents. Kaden Lopez, 18, was arrested on Wednesday after police said he was caught on video throwing a the object toward the court at the Phoenix Mercury's game against the Connecticut Sun, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. The object did not reach the court, instead hitting a bystander and his 9-year-old niece. Lopez was reportedly booked into jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material. From Fox 10: "Video footage shows Lopez, sitting in his seat, he retrieves the green dildo from his sweater front pocket then throws the dildo forward. He then stands up and leaves the area," a court document read. Lopez reportedly apologized for his actions and described them as a "stupid prank that was trending on social media." Documents reportedly show he bought the sex toy on Monday to take it to the game. The man who was struck by the toy reportedly wants Lopez prosecuted, as do the WNBA and the operators of the Mercury's PHX Arena: "The adult male victim was interviewed. He stated he was watching the WNBA game with his 9-year-old niece, when something hit his back then fell to the ground next to them. He realized the object that hit him was a dildo. He desires prosecution," the court document read. The first known incident occurred on July 29, when a toy landed on the court at a Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game. Similar objects have made it to the courts at a Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks game, with the latter appearing to hit Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on Tuesday. On the same night as that Sparks game, sex toys were also thrown at a New York Liberty game and the Mercury game, with both staying in the stands. These all appear to be the work of different people. The person who allegedly threw the toy in Atlanta has since been arrested and identified as Delbert Carver, 23, per He reportedly faces charges of disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. No suspects had been identified from the other games until Lopez, but it was reported at the time of his arrest that Carver wasn't responsible for the second incident in Chicago. Overall, the WNBA has taken a very dim view toward these people, warning that anyone who does this will face immediate ejection, criminal charges and a minimum one-year ban from games. Some players were amused by the first couple incidents, but others have raised safety concerns, including Cunningham. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts also blasted the activity as simply idiotic: "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game of the string of incidents. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. "I think it's really stupid." Similar concerns were raised by Buffalo Bills employees a few years ago about the trend of throwing sex toys on the field at New England Patriots games. All of these incidents have created questions of security for the WNBA. So far, the league has announced no changes, though it's possible the threat of prosecution and public identification could aid prevention going forward.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Second man arrested for throwing sex toy at WNBA game, allegedly hit man and his niece in stands
A second man has been arrested for throwing a green sex toy at a WNBA game, a trend in which there are now five known incidents. Kaden Lopez, 18, was arrested on Wednesday after police said he was caught on video throwing a the object toward the court at the Phoenix Mercury's game against the Connecticut Sun, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. The object did not reach the court, instead hitting a bystander and his 9-year-old niece. Lopez was reportedly booked into jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material. From Fox 10: "Video footage shows Lopez, sitting in his seat, he retrieves the green dildo from his sweater front pocket then throws the dildo forward. He then stands up and leaves the area," a court document read. Lopez reportedly apologized for his actions and described them as a "stupid prank that was trending on social media." Documents reportedly show he bought the sex toy on Monday to take it to the game. The man who was struck by the toy reportedly wants Lopez prosecuted, as do the WNBA and the operators of the Mercury's PHX Arena: "The adult male victim was interviewed. He stated he was watching the WNBA game with his 9-year-old niece, when something hit his back then fell to the ground next to them. He realized the object that hit him was a dildo. He desires prosecution," the court document read. The first known incident occurred on July 29, when a toy landed on the court at a Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game. Similar objects have made it to the courts at a Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks game, with the latter appearing to hit Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on Tuesday. On the same night as that Sparks game, sex toys were also thrown at a New York Liberty game and the Mercury game, with both staying in the stands. These all appear to be the work of different people. The person who allegedly threw the toy in Atlanta has since been arrested and identified as Delbert Carver, 23, per He reportedly faces charges of disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. No suspects had been identified from the other games until Lopez, but it was reported at the time of his arrest that Carver wasn't responsible for the second incident in Chicago. Overall, the WNBA has taken a very dim view toward these people, warning that anyone who does this will face immediate ejection, criminal charges and a minimum one-year ban from games. Some players were amused by the first couple incidents, but others have raised safety concerns, including Cunningham. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts also blasted the activity as simply idiotic: "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game of the string of incidents. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. "I think it's really stupid." Similar concerns were raised by Buffalo Bills employees a few years ago about the trend of throwing sex toys on the field at New England Patriots games. All of these incidents have created questions of security for the WNBA. So far, the league has announced no changes, though it's possible the threat of prosecution and public identification could aid prevention going forward.