A gunman who opened fire inside a New York City skyscraper on Monday evening, killing four people, left behind a note blaming the National Football League (NFL) for a brain condition he believed contributed to his deteriorating mental health, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, ultimately took his own life after launching the deadly attack in a building that houses the NFL’s headquarters.
Authorities say Tamura mistakenly arrived at a different office after taking the wrong elevator, ending up in the offices of Rudin Management, the company that owns the skyscraper.
Mayor Adams stated that Tamura was in possession of a note referring to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
This is a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma, often associated with contact sports like football.
The note appeared to suggest Tamura held the NFL responsible for the damage he believed his brain had suffered.
Despite citing the league in his note, Tamura never played professionally.
Former teammates told U.S. media outlets that he had only played football at the high school level in California.
No ties to the NFL have been established beyond Tamura’s personal beliefs as expressed in the letter.
The victims of the shooting include 36-year-old Didarul Islam, a New York City police officer who was working as a security guard at the time of the attack.
Another victim, Wesley LePatner, was identified as an employee of the investment firm Blackstone.
Two additional male victims, both civilians, were also killed, though their names have not yet been released.
An NFL employee was reportedly seriously injured in the assault, as confirmed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an internal message.
Tamura is believed to have driven across the country from Las Vegas to carry out the attack.
He used an assault-style rifle during the incident.
After firing shots in the building’s lobby, he took an elevator to the 33rd floor, continuing the shooting spree in a different office suite than the NFL’s.
According to preliminary findings, Tamura may have intended to target the NFL’s office but instead entered the wrong area of the building.
Mayor Adams described the attack as “a chilling reminder of how mental illness and access to deadly weapons can intersect with tragic results.”
Emergency services were quick to respond, but the shooting caused chaos in Midtown Manhattan.
Parts of the neighborhood and sections of the city’s public transit system were temporarily shut down.
A BBC journalist present at the scene reported seeing a victim with visible chest wounds being transported on a stretcher, while a large police presence worked to secure the area.
Police teams methodically searched the building floor by floor, a process that took several hours.
Law enforcement instructed those nearby to shelter in place as officers ensured there were no further threats.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as terrifying.
Nekeisha Lewis, who had been dining outside with friends near the plaza, said she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire.
“It felt like being in a warzone,” she told NBC News. Lewis recalled seeing an injured man flee the building, clearly wounded.
“This was the most frightening experience I’ve ever lived through,” she added.
The incident has reignited debates around mental health, gun control, and the long-term impact of head injuries in contact sports.
CTE, the brain condition mentioned in Tamura’s note, has been increasingly linked to violent behavior and severe psychological symptoms.
Though the shooter had no formal medical diagnosis, the note suggested he believed past football injuries had triggered his mental health crisis.
Authorities continue to investigate the motive and background of Tamura.
Meanwhile, New York City mourns the victims of another mass shooting that has left lingering questions.
These are questions about public safety, mental health intervention, and the role of sport-related brain injuries in violent incidents.