Gunman Targets NFL Headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, Leaves Note Blaming CTE

A gunman who opened fire inside a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday, killing four people and wounding another, appeared to be targeting the National Football League (NFL) headquarters and left a note blaming his actions on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), authorities said.

Police identified the attacker as Shane Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas. Tamura reportedly drove across the country armed with a semiautomatic rifle before storming 345 Park Avenue, the skyscraper that houses the NFL’s offices. Upon entering, he opened fire on an NYPD officer working security and then shot a woman taking cover nearby, according to officials. He proceeded to spray gunfire through the lobby, striking a security guard at the elevator bank and leaving bullet holes in a large NFL crest on the wall.

Tamura ultimately took the wrong elevator and ended up in a different part of the building before dying by suicide at the scene, police said.

Among the victims was Didarul Islam, 36, an NYPD officer who was working security at the building. Wesley LePatner, an executive with finance giant Blackstone, was also killed, along with two other male civilians whose names have not yet been released. An NFL employee was critically injured in the attack, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed in a statement to staff.

Note Blames NFL for Brain Injury

New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed that Tamura was carrying a note in which he claimed to be suffering from CTE, a degenerative brain condition often associated with repeated head trauma. The note reportedly included the plea, “Study my brain please,” and concluded with, “I’m sorry.”

Tamura, who played high school football but never competed in the NFL, appeared to blame the league for his mental health struggles, according to Adams.

National Reaction

President Donald Trump, visiting Scotland at the time of the shooting, said he had been briefed on the “tragic” incident and expressed confidence in law enforcement’s investigation.

“This crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence,” Trump said in a statement, adding that authorities would “get to the bottom” of what motivated Tamura.

Experts have linked CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) to repeated blows to the head, particularly in contact sports such as football. While Tamura had no professional football experience, his note has fueled renewed discussion about the long-term consequences of head injuries in sports.

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