A gunman who brutally killed four people in a New York office tower was found with a note that hinted at a possible motive for the violent shooting.
The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, opened fire inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper on Monday (July 28).
According to BBC News, Tamura began the attack just after 6:30PM in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue, where he shot Officer Didarul Islam, 36, who was working a security detail.
Tamura then sprayed the lobby with gunfire, striking several people before taking an elevator to the 33rd floor, where he killed another person and fatally shot himself in the chest.
Islam, a Bangladeshi immigrant and father of two with a third child on the way, was praised as a hero. “He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a press conference.
A fifth victim, believed to be an NFL employee, survived but remains in critical condition. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed it in a letter to staff, The New York Post reported.
Authorities later discovered that Tamura had left behind a multi-page note blaming his struggles on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease linked to head trauma.
He cited the NFL in the note and requested that his brain be studied after death, law enforcement sources told the outlet.
The gunman, who had a documented mental health history, appeared to have driven across the country from Las Vegas, where he worked as a casino security guard.
He legally owned the firearm used in the attack, and police discovered additional ammunition in his Nevada-registered vehicle, which he had double-parked outside the building.
While the NFL’s offices are located on the fifth through eighth floors of the building, Tamura went directly to the 33rd floor after the lobby attack. The building also houses major firms such as Blackstone and KPMG.
In high school, Tamura had been a standout running back at Golden Valley High in California, graduating in 2016. His coach had once predicted “big things” for him on the field.
“It looked like the sky was the limit, and then it wasn’t anymore,” former classmate Caleb Clarke told NBC News.
The shooting triggered a massive police response. Streets and subways were shut down as officers cleared the building floor by floor.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as people barricaded themselves inside offices or fled into the street with their hands up.
“This is so terrifying for them,” Mama Bouhenni, who works at a nearby coffee shop, said. “I hope they can go home safe.”
Police have confirmed that Tamura acted alone. The investigation into his background and the note is ongoing.
“I want to extend my profound sympathies to all of the victims and their families, and to the brave NYPD cops who today lost a brother,” Tisch said. “There are still many questions that we have to answer, and we will answer them.
"For now, our city is in mourning of the innocent lives lost. May their memories be a blessing," she added.