Shane Devon Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, shocked the nation with a deadly mass shooting in New York City on July 28, 2025.
Who Is Shane Tamura?
Shane Devon Tamura was born on January 19, 1998, in Hawaii and later moved to Las Vegas.
He gained attention as the suspected gunman in a mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue, a Midtown Manhattan office building.
Tamura worked as a surveillance department employee at the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and casino. Before the shooting, he drove across the country from Nevada to New York, arriving on the day of the attack.
Police identified him after finding a concealed carry permit and other items in his car. Tamura died by suicide at the scene after killing four people.
His History and Family Life
Tamura grew up in Southern California, where he played football at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita and Granada Hills Charter School.
His high school coach, Dan Kelley, described him as a talented running back with a bright future, earning all-conference honors in 2015. Former teammates remembered him as a quiet, hardworking player with a positive attitude, not someone who seemed violent.
After high school, Tamura didn’t pursue a college or NFL career, instead moving to Las Vegas.
His family life is less clear. Reports suggest he lived with his parents in a gated Las Vegas community, and some sources hint his father may have been a former Los Angeles police officer, though this is unconfirmed.
Tamura had a documented mental health history, including two crisis holds in Nevada (2022 and 2024), where he was detained for being a potential danger to himself or others.
A 2023 trespassing arrest at a Las Vegas casino was dropped, showing minor legal trouble.
Connection to Victims
There are no documented personal ties between Tamura and the victims, yet speculation persists about what drove him to enter the building that houses the NFL headquarters and open fire.
The victims were NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh and father of two; Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone executive and mother of two; Julia Hyman, a 27-year-old Rudin Management associate; and Aland Etienne, a 46-year-old security guard.
An NFL employee, Craig Clementi, was seriously injured but survived.
The shooting occurred in a building housing the NFL headquarters, but no evidence suggests Tamura targeted specific individuals or had ties to them or political figures.
What Was Inside the Note?
Tamura left two notes: one found in his pocket at the scene and another in Las Vegas. The note in his pocket, written on a white sheet of paper, detailed his grievances and mental state.
The Las Vegas note was an apology to his parents.
Here’s what the pocket note contained, with as much of the real quote as possible based on available reports:
- “Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze. I suffered for years with headaches and depression. You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you. Study my brain please. I’m sorry, tell Rick I’m sorry for everything. The NFL ruined my life and I couldn’t take it anymore. They owe me for my pain.”
- Additional lines included references to “hidden injuries” and a plea for his brain to be examined for CTE, a brain disease linked to head trauma.
The note suggests Tamura blamed the NFL for his perceived health issues and personal struggles, though it’s unclear who “Rick” is. The Las Vegas note simply read, “Mom and Dad, I’m so sorry. I love you. Please forgive me.”
What Happened the Day of the Shootings?
On July 28, 2025, at around 6:28 p.m. EDT, Tamura arrived at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Surveillance video showed him exiting his black BMW, carrying an M4 rifle.
He entered the lobby and began “spraying it with gunfire,” killing Officer Islam and shooting a woman who took cover.
He then shot security guard Etienne and another man in the lobby. Tamura took an elevator to the 33rd floor, where Rudin Management is located, and killed Julia Hyman. He ended the rampage by shooting himself in the chest.
By 7:52 p.m., police confirmed the scene was secure. His car contained a loaded revolver, ammunition, and medication, but no explosives.
More Important Information
- Mental Health: Tamura’s mental health struggles were evident from his crisis holds and the medication found in his car. Experts note CTE can’t be confirmed in a living person, but his football history and note suggest he believed it affected him.
- Weapon: The AR-15-style rifle was assembled with a lower receiver bought by an associate, who police plan to question. Tamura’s concealed carry permit was valid in Nevada.
- Response: New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for a national assault weapons ban, highlighting weak gun laws in other states. The NFL closed its offices through the following week.
- Community Impact: Vigils were held for victims, and the shooting marked the 250th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2025, per the Gun Violence Archive.
Conspiracy Theories
Several conspiracy theories have emerged:
- NFL Cover-Up: Some claim the NFL hid CTE dangers, driving Tamura’s actions. His note fuels this, though no evidence supports a coordinated cover-up.
- Government Involvement: Online rumors suggest government agencies pushed Tamura due to his mental health history, but this lacks proof and contradicts his lone-wolf status.
- Staged Event: A few assert the shooting was staged to push gun control, citing the NFL connection. However, police evidence and victim accounts debunk this.
These theories reflect public distrust but are not supported by official investigations.
Additional Important Information
- Travel Route: Tamura’s journey began July 26 in Nevada, passing through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and New Jersey, arriving in New York two hours before the shooting.
- Public Reaction: Former teammates expressed disbelief, with Anthony Michael Leon saying, “This is so shocking.” Coach Walter Roby questioned if he could have helped Tamura.
- Legal Context: Tamura’s trespassing charge and expired private investigator license show a troubled but not heavily criminal past.
Shane Tamura’s life ended in a tragic mass shooting that left four dead and one injured in NYC.
Evidence points to a lone act driven by personal grievances. The investigation continues, with police seeking his associate’s role in the rifle purchase.
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