The man who allegedly opened fire on several people at a building in New York City on Monday was said to be targeting the NFL, and a note he left included a message pertaining to his days of playing football.
Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, shot and killed four people on Monday at 345 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan, which is the building that houses the NFL’s offices. Tamura was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the 33rd floor of the building.
Tamura is a former football player who was reportedly a star running back when he went to high school in California. He first attended school at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita before transferring to Granada Hills Charter school in Los Angeles for his senior year. He graduated in 2016.
Tamura, who worked at a casino in Las Vegas, had a documented history of mental health issues. Police say he carried a note in his pocket that claimed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a brain disease that has impacted football players and other athletes. CTE cannot be diagnosed in a living person.
The note also made reference to former NFL player Terry Long, who committed suicide by drinking antifreeze in 2005. Long was diagnosed with CTE. Tamura’s note accused the NFL of concealing the dangers of CTE to protect the league’s financial interests, according to The Associated Press.
One of the things Tamura wrote in the three-page note was “study my brain please.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said evidence suggests Tamura was targeting the NFL with his attack. It is believed that Tamura “mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank,” according to Adams.
After shooting multiple people in the lobby of the building, Tamura ended up on the 33rd floor. The NFL’s offices are on floors 5, 6, 7 and 8.
One NFL employee was seriously injured in the shooting but is said to be hospitalized in stable condition.
