New details were released Tuesday evening about the deadly shooting spree carried out by Shane Tamura in a Manhattan skyscraper, as well as the identities of his four victims. According to early findings from the investigation, Tamura—who left behind a letter blaming the NFL for brain damage he allegedly suffered in his youth, despite never having played in the league—had intended to reach the NFL’s offices on the building’s fifth floor. However, he mistakenly took the wrong elevator, which brought him to the 33rd floor, where he continued his shooting.
One of the victims was Wesley LePatner, an Orthodox Jewish woman who served on the boards of UJA-Federation of New York and The Heschel School, and was CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust.
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Manhattan shooter Shane Tamura and one of his victims, Wesley LePatner, a NYC Jewish communal leader
(Photos: New York Post)
The rampage began around 6:30 p.m. New York time on Monday evening. Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, arrived in a black BMW and parked it in the middle of the street near the skyscraper on Fourth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Armed with a suppressed M4 assault rifle, he walked into the lobby and opened fire.
The first person killed was Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old NYPD officer who was working as a security guard. Reports say he was shot after returning fire. Two others were killed in the lobby: Patner, 43, a senior executive at the investment firm Blackstone, who was reportedly heading out to meet a colleague and was hit while hiding behind a pillar; and Aland Etienne, 46, another security guard who was shot while taking cover under the reception desk. New York Mayor Eric Adams said Etienne tried to activate the building’s emergency system that disables the elevators, but was killed before he could do so.
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Workers barricade themselves in the office in the skyscraper where the massacre took place in Manhattan, New York.
An NFL finance department employee was seriously wounded in the lobby. Tamura then entered an elevator—reportedly aiming to reach the NFL offices—but mistakenly took one that only accessed the upper floors. A woman who exited the elevator narrowly escaped.
Tamura reached the 33rd floor, home to real estate company Rudin Management, which owns the building. There, he shot and killed Julia Heyman, a young employee who had joined the firm five years after graduating from Cornell University. He then shot himself in the chest, ending his life.
Note in gunman’s pocket: 'Study my brain'
In Tamura’s pocket was a three-page letter in which he claimed to suffer from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a degenerative brain disease linked to head trauma, common among football players. He criticized the NFL for its handling of CTE and referenced Terry Long, a former NFL player who had CTE and died by suicide after drinking antifreeze. “You can’t go against the NFL. They’ll crush you,” Tamura wrote. According to reports, Tamura played high school football in California, but never in the NFL.
He also requested that his brain be examined: “Please study my brain for CTE. I’m sorry. The league knowingly hid the risks to our brains to maximize profits. It failed us.” His words seemed to refer to the NFL’s past denial of the link between football and CTE—a stance it reversed in 2016 when it acknowledged the connection in Congressional testimony. Since then, the NFL has paid more than $1.4 billion in compensation to former players claiming brain injuries.
Tamura had arrived in New York a day before the shooting, after driving across several states. His car had been seen in Nebraska, Iowa and New Jersey since the previous Saturday. A search of his BMW uncovered prescription medications, a rifle case, loaded magazines, and a handgun. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tamura had a documented history of mental illness. “Our partners in Las Vegas informed us of his psychological background.”
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Officer Didarul Islam's body was removed from the building in a formal ceremony
(Photo: Mayor Eric Adams via X/Handout via Reuters)
The victims’ names have now been released, and many in the U.S. are praising Officer Didarul Islam for his bravery. Originally from Bangladesh, Islam joined the NYPD in 2021. He is survived by two children and a pregnant wife. His body was removed from the building in a formal ceremony attended by Mayor Adams, with many officers saluting as his American-flag-draped coffin was placed into an ambulance.
Islam was described as a hero by the police, and Mayor Adams, who met with his family, said: “He saved lives. He protected New Yorkers. He loved this city, and everyone we spoke to said he was a man of faith and devotion to God.” Zoran Mamdani, Adams’ leading challenger in the mayoral race, also emphasized Islam’s background as a Bangladeshi immigrant: “When he joined the force, his mother asked him why he wanted such a dangerous job. He told her he wanted to leave behind a legacy that his family would be proud of. That's what he did, and even more.”
Prominent Jewish executive who 'loved Israel'
Wesley LePatner’s death has shocked many in New York, especially in the city’s Jewish community, where she was a well-known figure. She is survived by her husband and two children. A Yale graduate and former longtime Goldman Sachs executive, she joined Blackstone in 2014 and managed a real estate fund overseeing $53 billion in assets.
LePatner was Orthodox and regularly attended Altneu Synagogue in New York. She served on the boards of the NYU Federation and the Heschel School. “We cannot express the grief we feel over the sudden and tragic loss of Wesley,” her family said. “She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative, who enriched our lives in every possible way. To so many others, she was a loyal and caring friend and an exceptionally talented colleague.” One friend said they had met just weeks ago over lunch: “We talked about the future, our children, women’s leadership, Torah, and our shared love for Israel. I admired her deeply.”
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The shooting has reignited debate in the U.S. over gun control. Democrats are calling for stricter regulations to curb mass shootings, while Republicans argue that such restrictions violate the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called for reinstating the federal ban on assault rifles that was enacted in the 1990s but expired in the 2000s and was never renewed. She called for a “national awakening,” saying that, although New York has relatively strict gun laws, they are undermined by looser laws in neighboring states: “I want to be able to protect New Yorkers, but it’s difficult when other states won’t step up and when Congress lets us down,” she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who strongly opposes gun control, expressed condolences to the victims’ families but did not address the policy issue. “I trust law enforcement will get to the root of why this madman committed such an evil act. My heart goes out to the families of the four victims, including the NYPD officer who made the ultimate sacrifice. God bless the NYPD. God bless New York!” he wrote on his social network, Truth Social, adding that he “knows and loves” the Manhattan neighborhood where the shooting took place.