The NFL is believed to have been the original target of the gunman who killed four people on Monday, according to New York City mayor Eric Adams.
Examiners think that 27-year-old Shane Tamura, of Las Vegas, was trying to get into the NFL headquarters after shooting several people in the building’s lobby, but ended up entering the wrong set of lifts, Adams added.
Police said that Tamura was carrying a note suggesting he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CTE is a brain condition linked with concussions and repeated head trauma often associated with playing contact sports regularly. Tamura had played American football in high school almost two decades ago.
“He seemed to have blamed the NFL,” the New York City mayor said. “The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank.”
Gunman’s note referenced NFL
The note found on Tamura said that his brain should be studied after he died, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke to the Associated Press.
CTE can only be formally diagnosed after someone’s death through brain tissue analysis. One of the people familiar with the issue also stated that the shooter’s note explicitly referenced the NFL.
Tamura fatally shot four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer, before shooting himself dead. The officer was identified as 36-year-old Didarul Islam.
Police commissioner Jessica Tisch stated: “He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He died as he lived. A hero.”
The shooting took place at 345 Park Avenue, a skyscraper in Manhattan which also holds offices of investment firm Blackstone and financial services company KPMG, among others.
The NFL has implemented several rule changes in the last 15 years to reduce the risk of head injuries, which may lead to CTE, following lawsuits from former players.