New York City gunman targeted the NFL but ended up on another floor

The gunman who killed at least four people and himself at a Midtown Manhattan office tower was targeting the National Football League, but ended up on Rudin Management’s floor by mistake, two senior law enforcement officers said.

A man stalked through a Manhattan office tower firing a rifle Monday, killing four people, including a New York City police officer, and wounding a fifth before taking his own life, officials said.

The shooting took place at a skyscraper that is home to the headquarters of both the NFL and Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment firms, as well as other tenants.

Instead of going to the NFL’s fifth-storey office at 345 Park Ave., he picked the wrong elevator bank that took him to Rudin’s office on the 33rd floor, the officers said. That’s where the body of the shooter, believed to be Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old who last resided in Las Vegas, was found.

A manifesto and notes found on him indicated a fixation with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, caused by head trauma, the officers said. His social media feed showed his football career ended after a head injury, and he wrote that the NFL didn’t do enough for CTE.

The gunman, who has a documented history of mental-health troubles, drove across the country before entering New York City earlier Monday, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

The scene unfolded late Monday in the 44-storey, dark-glass tower that houses the offices of private equity giant Blackstone Inc., consultant KPMG, the NFL and building landlord Rudin. The evening began as Tamura strode across the public plaza just outside the building with an assault rifle in his hand. Within minutes, the victims were shot in a mass shooting in the epicenter of American finance.

Before heading to the 33rd floor, Tamura shot and killed a uniformed police officer in the lobby. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. The attacker previously worked as a security guard at a Las Vegas casino and held a concealed-carry permit for Nevada, according to law enforcement officials.

An unidentified NFL employee was seriously injured in the shooting, according to a message from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The employee is currently in the hospital in stable condition. In response to the incident, there will be an increased security presence at the building in the days and weeks ahead.

The shooting shut down a large stretch of Midtown Manhattan and drove employees at several nearby firms - including hedge fund Citadel and investment bank Jefferies Financial Group Inc. - into lockdown. Park Avenue now houses more major financial firms than actual Wall Street, with JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s massive new headquarters a few blocks south of Blackstone’s base.

The officer killed was Didarul Islam, 36, an immigrant from Bangladesh who had served as a police officer in New York City for 3 1/2 years, Tisch said at a news conference.

“He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” Tisch said. “He died as he lived. A hero.”

One man was seriously wounded and remains in critical condition, Mayor Eric Adams said. Four others got minor injuries attempting to flee.

Adams said officials are still “unravelling” what took place.

Officers found a rifle case, a revolver, magazines and ammunition in Tamura’s car, Tisch said. They also found medication that belonged to Tamura, she said.

She said an initial investigation shows his vehicle travelled across the country, passing through Colorado on July 26, then Nebraska and Iowa on July 27. The car was in Columbia, New Jersey, as recently as 4.24pm Monday. He drove into New York City shortly thereafter, she said.

Videos from inside the tower showed people huddled in cramped rooms, some crying in fear, and workers leaving with their hands in the air as police cleared floors. Blackstone employees described sharing and receiving conflicting information on what was happening, while some scrambled to barricade doors and entry points.

Workers streamed out of 345 Park Avenue to a chaotic scene of flashing police cars. Meanwhile, Blackstone sent staff a flurry of texts asking them to confirm they were safe.

A Blackstone employee was among those killed, according to a person briefed on the matter. The company is the world’s largest private markets firm, with more than $1.2 trillion in assets under management and roughly 5,000 employees.

One Blackstone employee shared a photo that showed couches piled close to the ceiling as a barricade. Two of the firm’s employees told friends they were hiding in the office pantries, according to people who received the messages. When they got the all-clear sign, some refused to leave spaces where they had barricaded themselves, petrified that they were still in danger.

“The city is in mourning for the innocent lives lost,” Tisch said, adding that one person who was shot in the lobby is being treated.

As the chaos subsided, employees who work in Midtown Manhattan wondered about the status of their offices on Tuesday. A text message sent to employees of JPMorgan Chase & Co. said their campus is expected to operate under normal conditions on Tuesday, but employees should anticipate some disruption in near the Midtown office.

At Citadel, two employees said they were locked down for over an hour, with one of them describing how coworkers huddled around, listening to the police scanner while they waited. As of 9pm in New York, one worker said they were still waiting to hear whether they’d be able to work from home the next day.

Late on Monday, Blackstone President Jon Gray and Chief Executive Officer Steve Schwarzman sent employees a note describing what occurred as “unimaginable” and the “worst day in the firm’s history,” according to a person briefed on the matter. They will host a company-wide Zoom call to address staff in the coming day.

Blackstone’s office will be closed on Tuesday, and is expected to be shut for the coming week, the person said.