- The Midtown Manhattan building houses the NFL headquarters and offices of major financial firms.
- Police said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
NEW YORK CITY – Police were trying to determine why a gunman charged into a Park Avenue skyscraper during rush hour and fatally shot at least four people, including a New York city police officer, before killing himself.
Police received multiple reports of an active shooter inside the 44-floor, Midtown Manhattan building that houses the NFL headquarters and offices of major financial firms, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference July 28. Surveillance footage showed a man exiting a vehicle outside before entering the building with an M4 rifle.
The suspect immediately opened fire at an NYPD officer who was working a paid detail at the building, which allows private companies to hire officers for security, according to Tisch. He then shot a woman who “took cover behind a pillar and proceeds through the lobby, spraying it with gunfire,” the police commissioner said.
The suspect also shot a security guard who was behind a security desk and another man in the lobby, Tisch added. The gunman then entered the building’s elevator and went up to the 33rd floor, where the building’s owner, Rudin Management, is located.
“(The suspect) begins to walk the floor, firing rounds as he traveled,” Tisch said. “One person was struck and killed on that floor. He then proceeds down a hallway and shoots himself in the chest.”
A total of five victims were shot, including and four civilians, according to Tisch. The officer who was killed was identified as Didarul Islam, 36.
Four other victims were also treated for minor injuries they sustained while attempting to flee from the scene, the police commissioner added. The identities of the victims were being withheld, pending family notification.
Gunman kills four in rush-hour attack at Manhattan skyscraper
The suspect: Shane Taura, 27, of Nevada
The alleged gunman was identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, of Nevada. Police said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation and investigators are working to understand why the suspect targeted the commercial building.
“We believe this to be a lone shooter and there is no longer an active threat to the public,” Tisch said.
Christopher Raia, FBI assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office, said the bureau is standing by to help NYPD if needed in the investigation.
Where is 345 Park Ave? What to know about site of Midtown Manhattan shooting
The building: 345 Park Avenue
The skyscraper at 345 Park Ave. is home to several high-profile tenants in addition to the NFL, among them KPMG, Blackstone Group and Bank of America’s financial center. Commercial giant Rudin Management owns the high rise structure, which was designed by Fox & Fowle Architects.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific act and their families. We are incredibly grateful for the bravery of building security and law enforcement,” KPMG said in a statement to USA TODAY.
− Anthony Robledo
Family members wait for loved ones
Hours after the shooting, several Manhattan blocks were still closed by police. The area is heavily marked by business offices and hotels. It’s steps away from several major tourist destinations, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trump Tower.
Behind NYPD barricades, Armand Bramellari, 36, waited hours for his mom, a cleaner in the building, to be let out.
She was on the second floor when the shooting happened, he said. After seeing news of the shooting on X, he rushed over to pick her up, parking on a side street, he told USA TODAY.
Bramellari wondered how the shooter accessed the building, which normally requires a badge or access by security. “This . . . doesn’t happen,” he said, holding a pack of Marlboro Reds.
His family, originally from Albania, arrived thanks to his mom getting a lottery slot to enter the United States, he said. “She brought us here, and she’s got to die at work?”
Moments later, his mom finally appeared with a group of women. He passed an NYPD barricade and embraced her and the others before they went down a side street to his car.
Around them, people walked on open streets as police officers stood about, occasionally ushering bike delivery workers to take alternate routes.
Suspect has a ‘documented mental health history’
A vehicle that was double parked outside of the Park Avenue building was registered under Tamura’s name in the state of Nevada, according to Tisch.
Inside the vehicle, Tisch said officers discovered a rifle case with rounds, a loaded revolver, ammunition, magazines, a backpack and medication prescribed to Tamura. The police commissioner added that the vehicle was also searched by the NYPD bomb squad and was found to be clear of any explosives.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect’s vehicle had traveled across the country through Colorado on July 26, and Nebraska and Iowa on July 27, according to Tisch. The vehicle was also tracked in Columbia, New Jersey at 4:24 p.m. on July 28 before entering New York City.
“According to our law enforcement partners in Las Vegas, Mr. Tamura has a documented mental health history,” Tisch said.
