The gunman, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, fatally shot four people and critically injured another before taking his own life at the offices of Rudin Management on the 33rd floor of the building. Authorities say Tamura left behind a note expressing his belief that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease often linked to repeated head trauma in athletes.
According to law enforcement sources who spoke to ABC News, Tamura’s handwritten message accused the NFL of knowingly hiding the dangers of head injuries to protect its profits. One page explicitly blamed football for long-term neurological damage, while another page contained a plea: “Study my brain please. I’m sorry.”
Despite his claims, police have found no medical evidence to confirm Tamura was diagnosed with CTE, nor that he ever suffered a traumatic brain injury. He played high school football in Los Angeles but never competed at the collegiate or professional level, and investigators have found no connection between Tamura and the NFL.
Mayor Adams elaborated during appearances on FOX 5 and CBS, saying, “It appears as though he was going after the employees at the NFL. From our preliminary investigation, he took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters. Instead, it took him to Rudin Management, and that is where he carried out additional shootings and took the lives of additional employees.”
Among the four victims killed were a police officer and an executive at Blackstone, both described as devoted parents. The fifth victim was hospitalized in critical condition but has since undergone surgery and is now in stable condition, according to officials familiar with the situation.
The motive and tragic misdirection of this shooting remain under investigation.