Multiple Victims in Manhattan Shooting: What to Know

President Donald Trump on Tuesday condemned a New York City shooting that left five people dead, including the suspected perpetrator, as a “senseless act of violence.” 

The Monday shooting took place at a corporate office building in Midtown Manhattan. The building is home to the global headquarters of asset manager Blackstone, the National Football League, and other companies. A New York Police Department officer was identified as one of the victims. A surviving victim was reportedly shot and critically wounded, and four others who sustained minor injuries while attempting to flee the scene were taken to hospital for treatment.

“I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless the New York Police Department, and God Bless New York!”

In a press conference on Monday evening, Mayor Eric Adams called the shooting an “act of evil” and condemned gun violence, which he said “has scarred so many neighbors and ripped apart too many families across this entire country.”

Adams announced on Tuesday morning that flags on all city buildings across New York would be flown at half-staff until further notice. A prayer vigil for the victims was held later that evening.

A senior official familiar with the shooting told NBC News that authorities found a three-page note in the suspect’s wallet that referenced chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative disease associated with head trauma. The disease is common among football players.

Here’s what we know so far.

What happened?

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch recounted during the Monday evening press conference what authorities’ investigation, which remains ongoing, has revealed so far.

Tisch said that at 6:28 p.m., a 911 call center received multiple calls for an active shooter situation at 345 Park Avenue, which is owned by real estate firm Rudin Management. 

The NYPD posted on X just after 8 p.m. that “the scene has been contained and the lone shooter is dead.” The suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities.

Surveillance video, Tisch said, showed that a lone male exited a double-parked black BMW outside the building between 51st and 52nd streets. He carried an M4 assault rifle in his right hand and entered the building’s lobby, where he opened fire on and killed an NYPD officer and a woman who was taking cover. He “sprayed” the lobby with gunfire, Tisch said, wounding another man, as he proceeded to the elevator. Near the elevator bank, he shot a security guard before letting a woman exit the elevator unharmed.

The elevator carried the shooter to the 33rd floor, where he walked around, “firing rounds as he traveled,” Tisch said. One additional woman was struck and killed. Then the shooter walked down a hallway and shot himself in the chest.

Who are the victims?

Didarul Islam

Adams and Tisch identified the police officer who was killed as 36-year-old Didarul Islam, a Bangladeshi immigrant who was a three-and-a-half-year veteran of the NYPD and served in the 47th precinct. Islam was working “paid detail,” which refers to a program in which private organizations can hire uniformed and armed off-duty officers for security, at the building when the shooting took place.

“Everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person who believed in God,” Adams said of Islam, adding that he had met with Islam’s family. “He’s a true blue New Yorker, not only in the uniform he wore but in his spirit and energy of loving this city.”

Tisch said Islam was married and had two boys, and his wife was pregnant with their third child. “He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” she said. “He died as he lived: a hero.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X that Islam “represented the very best of New York.”

Wesley LePatner

Blackstone identified Wesley LePatner, a company executive, as one of the other victims. “Words cannot express the devastation we feel,” Blackstone said in a statement to NBC. “Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone.” 

Before joining Blackstone in 2014, LePatner worked for a decade at investment banking and  financial services firm Goldman Sachs, according to her Blackstone profile. She graduated from Yale University in 2003 and served on the boards of several organizations including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Yale University Library Council. LePatner was also a member of the Advisory Board of Governors of National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT).

LePatner leaves behind her husband and children. Her family, in a statement to the New York Times, called her “the most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative who enriched our lives in every way imaginable.”

Aland Etienne

Security officer Aland Etienne also passed away from the shooting, according to his union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ. Union President Manny Pastreich called Etienne a “dedicated” worker who “took his job duties extremely seriously.”

“This tragedy speaks to the sacrifice of security officers who risk their lives every day to keep New Yorkers and our buildings safe," Pastreich said in a statement. “Every time a security officer puts on their uniform, they put their lives on the line. Their contributions to our city are essential, though often unappreciated.”

The Associated Press reported, citing the union, that Etienne worked as a licensed unarmed security guard since 2017 and had worked at the 345 Park Avenue building since 2019 and previously in 2017.

Etienne’s brother, in a statement posted on social media, said Etienne’s family is in grief: “He was more than a brother—he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives.” 

Julia Hyman

Julia Hyman, a 27-year-old who had worked as an associate at Rudin Management for less than a year, was killed in the shooting, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

The Rudins, the family that owns the building, identified a “cherished Rudin colleague” as one of the victims. The family did not name Hyman but said they were “devastated by yesterday’s senseless tragedy” in a statement to the New York Times. “As New Yorkers, we stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of this hatred, we grieve with the families and loved ones of those lost, and we pray for the full recovery of those injured.”

Hyman graduated from Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration in 2020. The university, in a statement, said she also previously worked at private investment firm Sagehall Partners and that Hyman had recently visited the campus earlier this summer for a reunion. The university also extended its condolences to Hyman’s parents and sister.

Craig Clementi

The “lone shooting survivor” is a male who, as of Monday night, was described as being in a “critical but stable” condition.

At least one NFL employee was “seriously injured in this attack,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo to the league’s staff, ESPN reported. Goodell added that all other employees are safe and accounted for and that there will be “increased security presence” at the office “in the days and weeks to come.”

Multiple media outlets identified the NFL employee as Craig Clementi, who reportedly works in the league’s finance department. Clementi “was on his way home when he got shot,” his father-in-law Robert Hunter told the New York Daily News. “He was able to call my daughter and he called upstairs too to the NFL offices.”

In a follow-up memo, Goodell said the league’s offices will be shuttered through at least August 8. Without naming Clementi, he said the employee was “currently surrounded by his family and members of the NFL community, and we are all continuing to hope for and support his full recovery.”

What do we know about the suspected shooter?

Tisch identified the suspected shooter as 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura, a resident of Las Vegas, Nev. who was reportedly born in Hawaii. “His motives are still under investigation, and we are working to understand why he targeted this particular location,” she said.

Initial investigation, Tisch said, shows that Tamura’s vehicle traveled cross-country, through Colorado on July 26, then Nebraska and Iowa on July 27 and then in Columbia, N.J., as recently as Monday afternoon.

Inside the vehicle, which was registered in Tamura’s name, officers found a rifle case, additional ammunition, a loaded revolver, a backpack, and prescription medication.

Tisch said Tamura had a “mental health history,” according to Las Vegas authorities. The FBI said that “initial checks” of its systems did not reveal any information about the subject.

Tisch said Tamura had a license in the state of Nevada, and officials told CNN that he had a concealed carry permit for a handgun and an expired private investigator license in Nevada.

Tisch reiterated that the shooter was believed to have acted alone and that there is no longer an active threat to the public.

In a recorded statement on Tuesday, Tisch said Tamura assembled the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting using a central piece purchased by an associate. Police have located the associate and will question him, she said.

Did Tamura target the NFL?

Authorities are reportedly investigating whether Tamura targeted the NFL, which has headquarters on the fifth floor of 345 Park Avenue, after papers were found on his body that indicated he had grievances with the league over its handling of CTE. Mayor Adams said that officials had “reason to believe that he was focused on the NFL agency that was located in the building,” during a Tuesday interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, though authorities have not officially identified a motive.

“CTE study my brain please. I’m sorry,” one of the lines in the three-page note reportedly said. Another line alleged the NFL “concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits. They failed us.” The chief medical examiner told CNN it will examine Tamura’s brain for CTE.

CTE, according to Harvard Medical School, can only be diagnosed through a postmortem brain examination. A study last September found that 1 in 3 former NFL players believed they had the condition, which has been linked with suicidality.

Tamura played high school football when he was younger and was described as a “standout running back” in a video from 2015. Granada Hills Charter High School, where Tamura studied, issued a statement Tuesday saying that Tamura “had no connection with the school since his withdrawal a decade ago” and that the school will cooperate with law enforcement. The school added that it was “horrified” by the incident and extended its condolences to the victims’ families.

How have people reacted to the shooting?

New York politicians

A number of prominent politicians of both parties have expressed grief over the incident. Several Democrats have called for more attention to addressing gun violence.

Gov. Hochul on Tuesday called the shooting a “horrific act of violence” and said her heart is with the victims. Her statement was also in part a call to action, as the governor showed her support for a national assault weapons ban. “New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation,” Hochul said. “But our laws only go so far when an AR-15 can be obtained in a state with weak gun laws and brought into New York to commit mass murder. The time to act is now.”

Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman and the Democratic nominee in the city’s upcoming mayoral election, posted on X that he was “heartbroken” after learning of the shooting. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running as an independent candidate in the mayoral race, posted that he was “horrified” by the shooting. Both said they were “grateful” to the first responders.

“Thank you to our brave first responders on the scene in Manhattan tonight,” Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, posted on X. “I’m praying for everyone affected. We must do more to stop gun violence in America.” Kirsten Gillibrand, the state’s other senator who is also a Democrat, posted that her “prayers” were with Islam’s family and the “entire first responder community.”

Rep. Jerrold Nalder, a Democrat who represents New York’s 12th congressional district that contains 345 Park Avenue, posted: “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic. The tragic loss of a brave police officer and innocent civilians is far too common. From Columbine to Sandy Hook, from the Tree of Life synagogue to the Pulse nightclub, from Charleston to today’s shooting in Midtown Manhattan, we must put an end to the easy access to weapons of war that continue to take innocent lives.”

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader and a representative of New York’s 8th congressional district, posted that he was “deeply disturbed” by the shooting and “praying hard” for the victims. “May God watch over our city during this challenging moment,” he said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who represents New York’s 14th congressional district, posted that her “heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone impacted.”

Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat who represents New York’s 10th congressional district, described the incident as “yet another random shooting.” In a post on X, he said: “While we await more details, let’s just remember that the U.S. is the only country with this kind of gun epidemic.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat who represents New York’s 15th congressional district, posted that the shooting was a “shocking act of terror” and a “grim reminder of the persistent danger posed by firearms, the hardening of hatred in our society, and the exceptional courage of the NYPD officers who risk their lives in order to protect the rest of us.”

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who represents New York’s 11th congressional district, posted that she was “heartbroken” to learn of the victims who were “murdered” by a “madman.” She added that she would join her “fellow New Yorkers in praying for a speedy recovery for those critically injured.”

Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who represents New York’s 24th congressional district, posted that her team is “actively monitoring” the shooting and that her “prayers are with the officer and civilians impacted in this horrific attack.”

Talk radio host Rob O’Donnell, a former NYPD detective and board member of the Pipe Hitter Foundation that advocates for service members and first responders, suggested that gun control measures are ineffective, posting on X: “The NYC Shooting suspect broke about 5 laws simply by entering New York. Tell me again how these mindless gun laws that do nothing to prevent criminals intent on committing violent crimes work?”

NFL community

Several NFL players, coaches, and other affiliates have also reacted to the shooting.

The NFL Players Association said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the shooting, and the union extended condolences to the victims and gratitude to first responders. “345 Park Avenue is a part of our football family,” the statement said.

Veteran kicker and New York Giants’ union representative Graham Gano said, according to ESPN, that he was “praying for just whoever was involved immediately” and that it was “sad to see no matter who it is, league office or not.”

Giants coach Brian Daboll opened a Tuesday press conference in East Rutherford, N.J., with some words about the shooting. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people that were affected in that tragedy,” Daboll said.

New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn said that it was “always tough to hear things like that and really to try to stay focused. … You have to because you have a job to do, but you think about the families that go through that and it’s tough.”

Others outside New York also addressed the tragedy. Cleveland Browns owner Dee Haslam said, “I would be remiss if we didn’t start out acknowledging what happened yesterday at the NFL headquarters. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families that have lost their loved ones and we honor the policeman that also died in the line of duty, and our prayers are with the ones that are injured.”

Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris also began a press conference with a response to the shooting: “Just sending our thoughts and our prayers to everybody involved, including one of our own.” Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that “our hearts go out” to New Yorkers and particularly to the families of the killed individuals. Reid added: “The people at the league office that had to go through all that. It’s a bad deal. We’ve got to try to keep peace somewhere here. There’s too much of this.”

Others

KPMG, a multinational accounting firm with offices in the building where the shooting took place, said in a statement issued to multiple media outlets: “Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific act and their families. We are incredibly grateful for the bravery of building security and law enforcement.”

Unfounded conspiracy theories about the shooting have spread on social media, including by Laura Loomer, a right-wing conspiracy theorist with influence in the Trump Administration, that the shooter shouted “Free Palestine.”

The New York Post reported that an apparent protester yelled, “Free Palestine, I’m not the shooter,” and was arrested outside the building around the time of the shooting.

—Solcyré Burga contributed reporting.

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