Today's News: 4 Killed in Deadliest NYC Mass Shooting in 25 Years
Investigations are ongoing into Tamura’s motive, with a suicide note found referencing CTE and expressing grievances with the NFL.
Photo: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
Overview
Date: July 28-29, 2025
Topic: New York City Mass Shooting and its Aftermath
Summary: On July 28, 2025, a lone gunman, Shane Devon Tamura, carried out a mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, killing four people—an off-duty NYPD officer, a security guard, a Blackstone executive, and a Rudin Management employee—before taking his own life. The deadliest shooting in New York City in 25 years, the incident highlighted the limitations of stringent local gun laws in a country with varied regulations. Investigations are ongoing into Tamura’s motive, with a suicide note found referencing CTE and expressing grievances with the NFL. The attack also brought attention to the shooter’s documented mental health history and past concussions from his high school football career.
Sources
The New York Times - N.Y.C. Mass Shooting Was Nearly Impossible to Prevent, Experts Say
NBC News - Who is Shane Devon Tamura? What we know about the NYC shooting suspect
Key Points
The shooting occurred at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan on Monday, July 28, 2025, carried out by Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Nevada, who then died by suicide.
Four people were killed: off-duty NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, security guard Aland Etienne, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, and Rudin Management employee Julia Hyman. An NFL employee was also injured.
Tamura left a suicide note referencing CTE and expressing grievances with the NFL, leading investigators to explore a potential motive linked to his high school football career and the building housing NFL offices.
Despite New York’s stringent gun laws and the building’s security, experts and officials stated that the attack was extremely difficult to prevent due to the ease of obtaining weapons in states with looser gun regulations and the shooter’s determination.
Tamura had a documented mental health history and had been on psychiatric holds in the past. He drove from Las Vegas to New York City with his weapon.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times uniquely detailed the shooter’s movements within the building, including his decision to spare a woman stepping out of an elevator. It also provided context on New York’s gun laws, including the SAFE Act and the 2022 Supreme Court ruling, and highlighted that overall city shootings were at record lows, making this mass shooting an anomalous event.
CNN provided extensive biographical details on Shane Tamura’s high school football career, including specific quotes from his coaches and teammates about his talent and concussions. It also reported a direct quote from his suicide note regarding “Terry Long football” and antifreeze, and revealed his past psychiatric holds and misdemeanor trespassing charge.
NBC News specified the weapon used as an “M4 rifle” and mentioned the discovery of prescribed medication in Tamura’s vehicle. It also provided exact travel details for Tamura’s cross-country drive, including specific states and the time he was in New Jersey.
Fox News focused on the political implications of the shooting, highlighting Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s past pledge to “disband” the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG), a unit that responds to mass shootings. It also detailed Mayor Eric Adams' order to lower flags to half-staff.
The Washington Post offered comprehensive personal narratives for each of the four deceased victims, detailing their backgrounds, families, and community impact. It included specific information about Officer Didarul Islam’s immigration and family, Wesley LePatner’s extensive philanthropic work, and Julia Hyman’s academic and athletic achievements. It also identified the injured NFL employee as Craig Clementi.
The Wall Street Journal offered first-hand accounts from employees who sheltered in the building, detailing their experiences and the chaos. It also described Blackstone’s “ABC” (avoid, barricade, confront) active-shooter training protocol and noted that the NFL offices would be closed through at least August 8.
Contrasting Details
Weapon Specificity: While The New York Times broadly described the weapon as a “cheap AR-15-style rifle,” NBC News and The Wall Street Journal specifically identified it as an “M4 rifle.”
Shooter’s Intent for NFL Office: CNN reported Mayor Eric Adams stating Tamura “mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank,” and The Wall Street Journal stated there were “no indications that Tamura breached the league’s offices.” However, NBC News indicated that officials are looking into whether he targeted the Park Avenue building that houses the NFL offices. The Wall Street Journal also stated that Tamura rode to the 33rd floor “hoping to find the NFL offices.” This suggests a difference in the certainty of whether the NFL office was his intended target.
Concussion History: CNN quoted a former teammate who “knew ‘for a fact’ that Tamura did sustain concussions,” while another former coach “didn’t recall him having any concussions.”
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