Armed assailant slaughters four individuals during shooting rampage in a high-rise building in New York City
In a shocking turn of events, a deadly mass shooting rocked the heart of Midtown Manhattan on Monday evening. The gunman, identified as Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, entered a central Manhattan skyscraper and opened fire, claiming the lives of four individuals, including a police officer, before apparently taking his own life.
The area where the shooting occurred is a bustling hub, home to several five-star business hotels, corporate headquarters, financial and law firms, and the United Nations headquarters. The incident began around 6:00 pm (2200 GMT).
An office worker named Shad Sakib was present during the shooting. He recounted the harrowing experience, expressing confusion when a public address announcement warned him to shelter in place. Another witness, a woman who declined to give her name, was in the building during the shooting. She described the gunman going floor by floor.
Shad Sakib also reported seeing a man carrying an M-4 rifle, who was later discovered by officers next to his weapon on the 33rd floor of Rudin Management. Surveillance footage captured the gunman leaving a black BMW at the scene.
Tamura had a history of mental health issues. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed this, though specific diagnoses or treatment details have not been publicly disclosed. Reports suggest that Tamura had a documented history of mental illness and claimed to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease often linked to repeated head trauma in athletes. However, it's important to note that CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death through brain examination, and no evidence has confirmed that Tamura had the condition.
Tamura lived in Las Vegas, where he legally purchased the firearm used in the attack through a supervisor at a casino. Additional ammunition, weapons, and medication were found in his possession. His path to the shooting location involved traveling from Las Vegas through several states days prior to the attack.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been briefed on the shooting. The investigation is ongoing to determine motives more fully, but the available evidence strongly indicates underlying mental health and trauma concerns played a significant role.
Tragically, four lives were lost in this senseless act of violence. The fallen police officer was a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh. A fifth victim is in critical condition after being shot. The community mourns, and the city remains on high alert, as the number of mass shootings in the United States this year has already reached 254, including Monday's incident in New York.
- The central Manhattan skyscraper where the shooting occurred is home to various businesses, including five-star hotels, financial and law firms, and the United Nations headquarters.
- Shad Sakib, an office worker, who was present during the shooting, reported seeing a man carrying an M-4 rifle and expressed confusion when a public address announcement warned him to shelter in place.
- Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the gunman, Shane Tamura, had a history of mental health issues, though specific diagnoses or treatment details have not been disclosed publicly.
- The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with authorities suggesting that underlying mental health and trauma concerns played a significant role in the motives, but it remains in the general-news and crime-and-justice sections of the epaper, highlighting the ongoing concern about mental health in society.
