The gunman responsible for Monday’s mass shooting in New York that left four dead – including a police officer – was a former high school football player who left a note blaming the sport for giving him CTE, a brain injury linked to repeated head trauma.
Police are still investigating the motive behind 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura’s attack at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan, the deadliest shooting in New York City in 25 years. Tamura killed off-duty officer Didarul Islam, 36, and three others. He also seriously wounded an NFL employee before taking his own life on the 33rd floor of the building, which houses the league’s corporate offices. Authorities are looking into whether he specifically targeted the NFL, as his note suggested he blamed the organization for his brain injuries.
The NFL’s offices are located on lower floors than where Tamura died. Investigators found a note in his pocket where he claimed to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often found in football players due to repeated head impacts.
CNN reported the note read: “Terry Long football gave me CTE… 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.”
Terry Long, a former Pittsburgh Steelers player, was one of the first NFL athletes diagnosed with CTE in 2005 before dying by suicide that same year. The identity of “Rick” remains unclear.
New York Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the note’s existence, stating Tamura appeared to blame the NFL for his condition. Early investigations suggest he may have been targeting the league.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said an employee was seriously injured but is now stable. Security has been increased at the Park Avenue offices, with Goodell assuring staff: “Every one of you is a valued member of the NFL family. We will get through this together.”
Tamura had traveled from his Las Vegas home to New York. Police found a loaded revolver, ammunition, and prescription medications in his car. Public records show he held a security guard license and may have worked at a Las Vegas casino.
As a teenager, Tamura played football at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita and later at Granada Hills Charter School in Los Angeles. A former teammate described him as a “great guy who really enjoyed the sport, not problematic at all.” A post-game interview showed Tamura celebrating a comeback victory, displaying no signs of distress at the time.”Definitely had to stay disciplined,” he said. “Coach kept telling us not to get discouraged. We just had to keep playing through it, keep our heads up, and trust that good results would come.”
CTE is a brain disease caused by repeated head injuries, commonly linked to contact sports and military personnel who experience traumatic brain incidents.
A balloon with the message “Love one another!” was seen at a memorial outside 345 Park Ave the day after a shooting.
In 2016, the NFL finally acknowledged the connection between football and CTE after years of denial. The year before, the league had reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with thousands of former players.
Research by Dr. Ann McKee at Boston University’s CTE Center confirmed the link beyond doubt. A 2023 study from the center found that 345 out of 376 deceased NFL players examined had CTE.
Symptoms include depression, headaches, and sleep problems. A 2023 study of 2,000 former NFL players found that over a third believed they had CTE, with many reporting frequent suicidal thoughts.
