The Manhattan mass shooter motives appear tied to his grievances against the NFL. 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura from Las Vegas, killed four people—an NYPD officer, a security guard, a Blackstone executive, and a Rudin Management associate—before taking his own life.
An NFL employee was seriously injured but is in stable condition.
Tamura’s grievances against the NFL are specifically related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.
A three-page note found in his wallet expressed anger, claiming his mental health issues stemmed from CTE, which he attributed to his high school football career in California. The note criticized the NFL for allegedly concealing the dangers of head injuries for profit and referenced former NFL player Terry Long, who died by suicide in 2005 after a CTE diagnosis.
Tamura requested that his brain be studied for CTE post-mortem, though the disease can only be definitively diagnosed after death. His brain is set to be examined as part of the autopsy.
Tamura intended to target the NFL offices but took the wrong elevator, ending up on the 33rd floor at Rudin Management’s offices, where he continued his attack. He had a documented history of mental health issues, with prior involuntary hospitalizations in Nevada in 2022 and 2023.
He legally purchased a .357 revolver and held a concealed carry permit, and investigators are examining how he assembled the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack, including questioning an associate who provided parts.