At least five people have died after an individual armed with an M4 rifle entered a New York City skyscraper Monday night and began shooting, killing four people—including a police officer—and seriously wounding another before committing suicide.
“We have lost four lives in another senseless act of gun violence, including that of Officer (Didarul) Islam, a member of the New York City Police Department,” announced Mayor Eric Adams, referring to the shooter’s victims, who also included two men and a woman who were killed and another man who was “critically injured.”
Adams also offered his condolences to the families of the victims and emphasized that “this horrific crime reminds us all how easily accessible a gun is.” “Gun violence has scarred too many residents and destroyed too many families across the country, and we will continue to fight to do everything possible to protect our city,” she added.
The incident began when a man, captured on surveillance cameras, exited a double-parked black BMW near the entrance to 345 Park Avenue with an M4 rifle in his right hand, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The shooter entered the lobby “immediately opening fire” on the deceased officer, after which he shot another woman, a man, and a security guard.
The shooter then took the elevator, allowing another woman to leave unharmed, and headed to the 33rd floor, where the real estate company Rudin Management is located, according to the police chief. Once there, he walked through the hallways, firing as he went, wounding one person, who died on that floor. “Then he went into the hallway and shot himself in the chest,” Tisch said.
The police department has identified Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old Las Vegas resident, as the suspect. Police found “a rifle case with bullets, a loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines, a backpack, and prescription medication for Tamura” in his vehicle. Tamura allegedly traveled more than 4,000 kilometers from his home in the last two days.
“His motives are still being investigated, and we are trying to understand why he chose this particular location,” the police chief explained, adding that, according to Las Vegas authorities, the suspect “had a documented mental health history.” “We believe this is a single shooter and there is no longer an active threat to the public,” she added.
Tisch added that the injured man is in critical but stable condition, and that there are also “four other victims being treated for minor injuries sustained while trying to flee the scene.” At the same time, he remembered Officer Islam, who “was 36 years old and had been on the force for four years.” “He was married with two young children, and his wife is pregnant with their third child,” he explained, adding that “he died as he lived, like a hero.”
