Four people were killed in a shooting on Park Avenue in New York City on the evening of July 29, US local time. Among the dead was Didarul Islam (36), a Bangladeshi-origin member of the New York Police Department.
US media outlet CNN reported, citing law enforcement, that the suspected gunman had committed suicide after the attack.
Around 7:00pm local time, police took to social media to urge everyone to avoid the Park Avenue and East 51st Street area.
The attack took place at a building at 345 Park Avenue, which is home to the National Football League (NFL), investment firm Blackstone, Rudin Management and the corporate offices of JPMorgan Chase.
Witnesses told AFP that the attack targeted the offices of real estate firm Rudin Management. However, further evidence would point to the offices of the NFL as the primary target.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that monitors gun violence, the attack was the 254th mass shooting in the United States this year.
What was revealed in the initial investigation
On July 30, police said Shane Devon Tamura, equipped with body armour, attacked the Rudin Management office on Park Avenue.
Tamura committed suicide immediately after the attack.
However, police recovered a handwritten note from his pocket that pointed to his motivations.
In the note, Tamura mentioned that he was suffering from 'chronic traumatic encephalopathy' (CTE), a brain disease that can result from prolonged head trauma.
The disease is most commonly seen in American football players.
Tamura also accused the National Football League (NFL) of sweeping players' brain illnesses under the rug to maintain its popularity.
However, ABC News reported that Tamura never played in the NFL. He only played American football while attending high school in California.
Additionally, the initial police investigation found no evidence that Tamura was actually suffering from CTE. According to doctors, it is not possible to definitively diagnose CTE in the case of the deceased.
Police searched Tamura's car and recovered additional ammunition, a revolver, a backpack, and medication.
According to police, Tamura purchased the rifle and vehicle from his supervisor while working for the surveillance department at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, a casino hotel on the famous Strip.
The supervisor legally purchased the AR-15 rifle. He later sold it to Tamura for $1,400. It is unclear whether the sale was legal.
Police have not released the supervisor's identity. They say he is cooperating with the investigation and has not been charged with any crime.
On July 29 local time, New York Mayor Eric Adams said the initial investigation suggested that Tamura went to Rudin Management instead of NFL headquarters as he made a mistake.
Police sources told the BBC that Tamura had previously been detained twice due to mental health problems.
What happened that day?
Police Commissioner Tish said CCTV footage showed Tamura exiting a BMW with an M-4 rifle in hand shortly before 6:30pm. He then crossed the public plaza and entered the 345 Park Avenue building.
He opened fire, killing a police officer in charge of corporate security. Tamura also fired at a woman who tried to take shelter in the lobby during the gunfire.
Then he shot a guard at the security desk and another person in the lobby.
Tamura later mistakenly took the elevator to the 33rd floor office of Rudin Management, where he shot and killed a man.
After this bloody incident, Tamura committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest.
On the afternoon of July 29, Sebije Nelovic, who had worked as a cleaner at 345 Park Avenue for 27 years, started her shift like any other normal day. Two hours into her shift, she was working on the 33rd floor when gunshots rang out.
The 65-year-old woman described the harrowing incident in a press interview.
After hearing gunshots, she left the room, stopped cleaning, and walked towards the glass door next to the reception. Suddenly, the glass door started shaking and broke.
"This guy came in the middle of the door, and pointed his gun at me. He started shooting around me," Nelovic recalled in an interview with CNN. "I put my hands up and said, 'I'm a cleaning lady. I'm a cleaning lady.' But I realised – he comes with a machine gun. He's not going to know who I am. He's going to shoot, no matter what."
Who is Shane Tamura?
Tamura, 27, lived in Las Vegas and worked at a casino there.
The Las Vegas Police Department issued Tamura a concealed weapons permit. Tamura was also issued a work card by the Nevada Private Investigators Licensing Board. Tamura's last known address was in a gated community in Las Vegas, ABC News reported.
A spokesman for the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino said on July 30 that Tamura worked in the surveillance department at the Las Vegas establishment.
The New York Times reported, citing a school official, that Tamura had completed high school in Los Angeles, where he played American football. Tamura also played as a running back for Granada Hills Charter at one point in high school.
Tamura's former classmate, Caleb Clark, said that Tamura was a "dumb" type of person. But he never thought Tamura was mentally ill.
A law enforcement official said Tamura's father, Terrence Tamura, had been an employee of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for 18 years.
The official added that Terrence Tamura retired from the LAPD and later moved to Las Vegas. Shane Tamura lived there with his parents.
What's in Tamura's suicide note?
Multiple law enforcement sources said investigators found a suicide note left for Tamura's mother and father during a search of his apartment. The note read: "Mom, when I look into your and Dad's eyes, I see only despair. I love you, Mom. I'm sorry."
A three-page note was also found in Tamura's wallet. The note, released by police, read: "Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze. You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you," the shooter wrote in the note, according to a CNN report.
Terry Long, a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, also committed suicide in 2005 after suffering from CTE.
Tamura's note also read, "Please examine my brain, I'm sorry. Tell Rick I'm sorry for everything."
Police said Tamura also apologised to his supervisor in the note.
New York Police bid farewell to Didarul with a guard of honor
The funeral of Didarul Islam, a Bangladeshi immigrant who was shot dead by Shane Tamura in Manhattan, New York, was held on July 31.
Thousands of people paid their last respects to Didarul Islam with condolences, respect, and love.
According to US media outlet USA Today, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has given Officer Didarul a 'guard of honor'.
New York Governor Kathy Hokul said in a statement that Didarul Islam was a responsible husband, father, and dedicated official.
"Didarul made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. He is a hero," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "I'm not here as mayor, I'm here as a parent, as a father. There's nothing more tragic for a father than burying his child."
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