A gunman who opened fire inside a New York City skyscraper on Monday, killing four people, tried to target the NFL‘s headquarters but took the wrong elevator, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Tuesday.
Adams told reporters that investigators believe 27-year-old suspect Shane Tamura of Las Vegas entered 345 Park Avenue with the intent to reach the NFL‘s offices but accessed the wrong set of elevator banks, arriving at the offices of Rudin Management instead.
“He seemed to have blamed the NFL,” Adams said. “The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank.”
Tamura had played football in high school in California nearly two decades ago, the AP reported.
A suicide note was discovered in the suspect’s back pocket that said he suffered from CTE, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the investigation. The degenerative brain disease has been linked to repeated trauma to the head, including concussions, common in contact sports like football.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (C) and City officials hold a press conference at the David H. Koch Center following a shooting in Midtown in which four people including a police officer were killed,…
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (C) and City officials hold a press conference at the David H. Koch Center following a shooting in Midtown in which four people including a police officer were killed, on July 28, 2025 in New York City.
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The Context
The shooting took place inside a building that houses the headquarters of both the NFL and Blackstone, a major global investment firm.
Who Was Shane Tamura?
Police and city officials identified Tamura, who grew up in California and had more recently resided in Las Vegas, as the chief suspect. Tamura played high school football nearly two decades ago but had no known professional or collegiate football experience, the AP reported.
He held a concealed carry permit issued in Nevada in 2022 and had a documented history of mental health crises, including two Mental Health Crisis Holds in Nevada in 2022 and 2024, ABC News reported. These permit officers to detain an individual for up to 72 hours if they are determined to be a danger to themselves or to others.
What is CTE? Shooter Reportedly Had Disease
The degenerative brain disease has been linked to repeated trauma to the head, including concussions, common in contact sports like football.
CTE symptoms can be used to diagnose suspected CTE in the living, but can only be confirmed through a post-mortem examination of the brain because it requires examination of brain tissue.
Football “gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” said a suicide note discovered in the suspect’s back pocket, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the investigation.
It added, “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you,” according to CNN.
The note also asked for the suspect’s brain to be studied, according to the outlet.
Adams told reporters that authorities are still going through the reported note to determine a possible motive for the shooting.
“But at this time it appears as though something that is attached to his belief he experienced CTE from playing in the NFL,” Adams said.
“He appeared to have some mental health history from what we’re getting from our partners…but it’s just a real unfortunate situation,” the mayor continued.
“He alluded to having CTE from playing in the NFL—he never played in the NFL. He alluded to CTE being the reason for his illness.”
Adams said it appears as though he was “going after the employees at the NFL.”
“We’re still going through the suicide note to zero in on the exact reason but at this time it appears as though something that is attached to his belief that he experienced CTE from playing in the NFL,” the mayor added.
Victims of NYC Shooting: What We Know So Far
The shooting left four dead and one seriously injured, police officials said.
Among the deceased was the NYPD‘s Islam, a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh and father of two with another child on the way. Officer Islam was killed while on security duty in the building’s lobby, authorities said. He had served the city for more than 3 years.
“He was doing what he does best and all members of the police department carry out,” Adams said. “He was saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers.”
Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone employee, was identified by her company as another victi fatally gunned down. The Yale graduate joined the firm in 2014.
“She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone,” the firm said in a statement.
The names of the other fatalities had not been disclosed at time of pubication.
An NFL employee was seriously wounded in the attack and was hospitalized in stable condition as of early Tuesday morning, commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo to employees shared with Newsweek.
“NFL staff are at the hospital and we are supporting his family. We believe that all of our employees are otherwise safe and accounted for, and the building has nearly been cleared,” Goodell said.
Witnesses described chaos as gunfire erupted. One witness told the AP, “It felt like it was a quick two shots and then it was rapid fire. Windows shattered and a man ran from the building saying, ‘Help, help. I’m shot.'”
What Happens Next
Authorities are working to determine the motive behind the deadly shooting. Goodell said there would be “increased security presence” at NFL‘s offices “in the days and weeks to come.”