A gunman killed four people on Monday evening before taking his own life at a Midtown Manhattan office tower that houses the global headquarters of Blackstone and the National Football League (NFL).
The gunman, wielding an M4 assault rifle, opened a hail of gunfire in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue – just blocks away from Grand Central Terminal in the heart of New York’s business district – at around 6.30pm on Monday before continuing his attack on a higher floor, New York authorities said.
A New York City police officer, Blackstone partner and two others were killed in the assault. Shane Tamura (27), who police identified as the suspected assailant, shot himself, authorities said.
New York City mayor Eric Adams said on Tuesday that “we have reason to believe [the gunman] was focused on the NFL agency that was located in the building”.
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Mr Adams added that a letter found with Tamura mentioned the league and head injuries, which has been the subject of debate in American football.
US president Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network that he had been briefed on the shooting, adding: “I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence.”
Blackstone identified Wesley LePatner, a leader in the investment group’s property investment business and one of its highest-ranking female executives, as the employee killed in the shooting.
The slain officer, Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old father of two, was providing extra security at the building under an NYPD programme that allows private companies to hire uniformed, off-duty police. Authorities did not immediately identify the other victims.
The NFL said in a statement one of its employees had been shot, but was in a stable condition.
NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press briefing late on Monday that Tamura appeared to have arrived in New York by car on Monday afternoon after driving across the country from Las Vegas.
Tamura had a “documented mental health history”, Ms Tisch said.
The shooting was the latest violent incident to shock the New York business community after UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson was shot dead ahead of an investor event in Midtown late last year.
Ms Tisch said the gunman entered the lobby carrying a rifle and shot four people, including the police officer and a security guard, before taking a lift to the 33rd floor office of Rudin Management — the building’s owner — where he shot one more person.
Rudin Management is one of New York City’s oldest and most successful real estate investment groups, with a presence in the city’s property market dating back to the early 20th century. The family-owned company owns more than a dozen office towers and apartment complexes, including 345 Park, one of the city’s most valuable properties.
Rudin could not immediately be reached for comment.
Blackstone is the largest tenant at 345 Park, occupying about half of the floors of the skyscraper, which also contains the offices of accounting firm KPMG. It previously housed a number of Irish State agencies including the Irish Consulate in New York, Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Bord Fáilte.
One worker in the building described barricading himself in an office with colleagues as news of the gunman’s presence spread.
“We pushed a desk across the door, put blankets up over the windows and stayed as low as possible,” said Jon Ferrer, a KPMG tax accountant working on the second floor.
KPMG had messaged staff with alerts, asking them to text if they needed help, Mr Ferrer said.
Blackstone sent messages telling employees to shelter in place after the shooting started. Many workers remained in their offices for more than an hour as police searched the building before beginning evacuations.
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