New details have emerged following the horrifying mass shooting that unfolded Monday evening in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Among the four people killed was Wesley LePatner, a high-ranking executive at financial powerhouse Blackstone, and NYPD officer Didarul Islam, who was off duty at the time of the attack.
LePatner served as Senior Managing Director and CEO of Blackstoneâs $53 billion Real Estate Income Trust. She was tragically gunned down in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue after the shooter, 47-year-old Shane Tamura, opened fire inside the building. Blackstone confirmed her death in a public statement that read, âShe embodied the best of Blackstone. Brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond.â The firm expressed heartfelt condolences, stating, âOur prayers are with her husband, children, and family.â
Also murdered in the tragic rampage was Officer Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old NYPD officer who had been with the force for just over three years. Islam, a Bronx-based cop originally from Bangladesh, was reportedly at the building assisting with a routine security matter when Tamura entered and began shooting. Mayor Eric Adams praised Islamâs actions, saying, âHe was doing what he does best⊠saving lives and protecting New Yorkers.â
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called Islam a hero and shared that he is survived by his wife and two sons, with a third child on the way. âHe put himself in harmâs way. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He was shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise he made to this city,â she said during a press briefing.
According to officials, Tamura drove cross-country from Las Vegas before targeting the office tower. Armed with a legally purchased assault-style rifle, he entered the Park Avenue building around 6:30 p.m., where he first shot Officer Islam, then continued through the lobby, killing a woman hiding behind a pillar and a security guard on duty. The building, which houses both the NFLâs headquarters and Blackstone offices, quickly went into lockdown as employees sent panicked messages via Teams and email and barricaded themselves in conference rooms and restrooms.
Tamura made it up to the 33rd floor in what police believe was an attempt to reach the NFLâs office, but he had taken the wrong elevator. There, he shot and killed another person before turning the gun on himself. The motive remains unclear as investigators continue combing through Tamuraâs background, digital activity, and travel history.