NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities revealed on Wednesday that Shane Tamura, 27, who fatally shot four individuals at a Manhattan office building, purchased the rifle used in the attack from his supervisor at a Las Vegas casino. The weapon and the vehicle Tamura used to travel across the country were acquired from the supervisor at Horseshoe Las Vegas.
On Monday, Tamura opened fire in the lobby of the building, which houses the National Football League’s headquarters, killing three people before proceeding to the 33rd floor and shooting a fourth victim before taking his own life. A note found with Tamura referenced his struggle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and accused the NFL of failing to disclose the risks associated with brain injuries in contact sports.
The New York Police Department confirmed that the supervisor legally sold the AR-15-style rifle to Tamura for $1,400, despite previously suggesting that only parts of the firearm were provided. Tamura, who played high school football but was never an NFL player, held a position in the casino’s surveillance department.
It remains unclear whether the sale of the weapon was legal, especially given Tamura’s reported history of mental illness. In September 2023, he faced a misdemeanor trespassing charge at a suburban Las Vegas casino after exhibiting agitation when asked for identification by security. That case was eventually dismissed by prosecutors.
Police have not charged Tamura’s supervisor, whose name has not been disclosed. He is acknowledged in Tamura’s suicide note, in which Tamura expressed remorse.
During a search of Tamura’s Las Vegas apartment, investigators uncovered psychiatric medications, a suicide note apologizing to his mother and detailing his feelings of disappointment toward his parents. They also discovered other medications, a tripod, a single rifle round, a box for a revolver found in Tamura’s New York car, and around 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition for the revolver.
New York City detectives remained in Las Vegas on Wednesday, obtaining a warrant to search Tamura’s casino locker while awaiting further warrants for his phone and laptop. Authorities also planned to reach out to his family.
Meanwhile, family and friends of the victims mourned their losses. The victims included New York City police officer Didarul Islam, who was assigned to guard the building; unarmed security guard Aland Etienne; Wesley LePatner, a real estate executive at Blackstone; and Julia Hyman, an associate at Rudin Management. An NFL employee suffered serious injuries in the attack but is expected to survive.
Hyman, who had been with Rudin since November, was honored at a funeral held Wednesday at a Manhattan synagogue. She was a 2020 Cornell University graduate and had been captain of several sports teams during her senior year at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx.
Officer Islam, 36, originally from Bangladesh, served on the city police force for over three years. He leaves behind a pregnant wife and two children, and a funeral is planned for Thursday in the Bronx.
