A gunman who killed four people in a shocking shooting at a New York City skyscraper Monday evening was reportedly targeting the National Football League (NFL) over a brain injury he believed he suffered due to playing football.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, the attacker — identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas — left a handwritten note claiming he had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition linked to repeated head trauma. He blamed the NFL for his deteriorating mental health.
Tamura, who had played high school football in California but never professionally, entered the skyscraper where the NFL’s headquarters are located. Authorities say he mistakenly took the wrong elevator and opened fire in a separate section of the building, targeting the offices of Rudin Management, the building’s owners.
Among the victims was Didarul Islam, 36, a New York police officer working as a security guard at the site. Wesley LePatner, an employee of financial giant Blackstone, was also confirmed dead. Two other male civilians were killed, while an NFL employee sustained critical injuries, Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a message to staff.
Mayor Adams, speaking to CBS News, said:
“He [Tamura] did have a note on him. The note alluded to the fact that he felt he had CTE… He appeared to have blamed the NFL for his injury.”
Authorities say Tamura drove cross-country from Las Vegas to New York and used an assault-style rifle during the attack. After opening fire in the building’s lobby and riding the elevator to the 33rd floor, he continued shooting before fatally turning the weapon on himself.
The incident caused panic in Midtown Manhattan, shutting down transportation and prompting police to conduct a floor-by-floor search of the building. Eyewitnesses described the chaos.
“It felt like you were in a warzone,” said Nekeisha Lewis, who was dining nearby when gunshots rang out. “Literally the most terrifying situation I’ve ever been in.”
This tragic event has renewed debates about mental health, gun access, and long-term impacts of contact sports. The NFL has not yet issued an official response regarding the allegations in the note.
