A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Authorities in New York City say a man shot and killed four people, including a police officer, at a office building in Midtown Manhattan Monday evening. Officials say the gunman then killed himself with a shotgun - with a gunshot to the chest. Now, it's still early in the investigation, and there's a lot that's not known. But we've got NPR's Sarah Ventre on the line from New York City who's going to help us piece together what happened. So Sarah, tell us what happened.
SARAH VENTRE, BYLINE: Well, according to the NYPD, the gunman got out of his car - it was a double-parked BMW - carrying a military-style M4 rifle. He walked into that office building on Park Avenue. This was in the middle of rush hour in one of the busiest and most crowded parts of the city. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch spoke at a press briefing and explained what happened next.
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JESSICA TISCH: The building's security camera footage shows the shooter enter the lobby, turn right and immediately open fire on an NYPD officer. He then shoots a woman who took cover behind a pillar and proceeds through the lobby, spraying it with gunfire.
VENTRE: So from there, he went to get on an elevator, but a woman was getting off as he was getting on, and he actually let her walk away. Then he made his way to the 33rd floor, where he shot and killed one more person before, authorities say, he shot and killed himself. Mayor Eric Adams said, quote, "no words can describe this act of evil."
MARTÍNEZ: Tell us what we know or has been revealed about the gunman.
VENTRE: Well, police identified him as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas. He was licensed to carry firearms. When police searched his vehicle, they also found a handgun, more ammunition and prescription medication. Authorities say he'd been driving across the country leading up to the shootings. He was tracked in Colorado two days beforehand, then in Nebraska, Iowa and finally yesterday in New Jersey before coming into New York City.
MARTÍNEZ: Any ideas as to why he did this?
VENTRE: Well, the investigation is still very early, but what we know is that Tamura was a star high school football player. And we need to note that the building where this happened also houses the offices of the NFL. During an interview this morning on MSNBC, Mayor Eric Adams said that NYPD officers found a note with the alleged shooter's body in which he mentioned CTE. That's chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It is a degenerative brain disorder that has been associated with impulse control problems, aggression and suicidality. It is only definitively diagnosed through an autopsy, but it commonly affects football players.
Now, NYPD Commissioner Tisch says law enforcement in Las Vegas told the NYPD that the suspect had a documented mental health history, but the FBI said their initial checks showed no initial information about the subject.
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TISCH: There are still many questions that we have to answer, and we will answer them. But for now, our city is in mourning for the innocent lives lost. May their memories be a blessing.
VENTRE: During the MSNBC interview, Mayor Eric Adams said there was reason to believe the suspect was focused on the NFL. As I mentioned, it has its offices in the building. And he said city and federal officials would continue to investigate.
MARTÍNEZ: And quickly, what do we know about the victims?
VENTRE: The NYPD officer who was killed was working security at the office building at the time. His name is Didarul Islam. He was 36. He'd been on the force for 3 1/2 years. We know he was an immigrant from Bangladesh, married with two kids, and his wife is pregnant with their third child. Mayor Adams described him as a person of faith and a true-blue New Yorker. And we also know that an executive with the financial firm Blackstone was also killed.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's NPR's Sarah Ventre from New York City. Thank you very much, Sarah.
VENTRE: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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