The gunman who killed four people and himself at a Midtown Manhattan tower on Monday was targeting the National Football League’s office, but ended up on the floor of another company by mistake, according to two senior law enforcement officers.
Instead of going to the NFL’s fifth-story office at 345 Park Avenue, he picked the elevator bank that took him to building owner Rudin Management’s office on the 33rd floor, the officers said. That’s where the body of the shooter, believed to be Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old who last resided in Las Vegas, was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A manifesto and notes found on him indicated a fixation with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, caused by head trauma, the officers said. His social media feed showed his football career ended after a head injury, and he wrote that the NFL didn’t do enough for CTE.
The gunman, who has a documented history of mental-health troubles, drove across the country before entering New York City on Monday, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. He then began a shooting spree that evening in the 44-story tower that also houses the offices of private equity giant Blackstone Inc. and consultant KPMG.
Before heading to the 33rd floor, Tamura shot and killed a uniformed police officer in the lobby of the building. The attacker previously worked as a security guard at a Las Vegas casino and held a concealed-carry permit for Nevada, according to law enforcement officials.
An unidentified NFL employee was seriously injured in the shooting, according to a message from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The employee is currently in the hospital in stable condition. In response to the incident, there will be an increased security presence at the building in the days and weeks ahead.
A Blackstone employee was among those killed, according to a person briefed on the matter. The slain police officer, Didarul Islam, was an immigrant from Bangladesh who had been on the job for three years, authorities said.
“The city is in mourning for the innocent lives lost,” Tisch said at a press briefing late on Monday.
The attack was the second within a year to stun both the city and the business world. The December shooting of UnitedHealth Group executive Brian Thompson outside of an investor conference occured just five blocks from Monday’s killings and prompted a surge in demand for corporate security.
Monday’s shooting shut down a large stretch of Midtown Manhattan and drove employees at several nearby firms — including hedge fund Citadel and investment bank Jefferies Financial Group Inc. — into lockdown. Park Avenue now houses more major financial firms than actual Wall Street, with JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s massive new headquarters a few blocks south of Blackstone’s base.
Late on Monday, Blackstone President Jon Gray and Chief Executive Officer Steve Schwarzman sent employees a note describing what occurred as “unimaginable” and the “worst day in the firm’s history,” according to a person briefed on the matter. They will host a company-wide Zoom call to address staff in the coming day.
Blackstone’s office will be closed on Tuesday, and is expected to be shut for the coming week, the person said.
