Manhattan shooting: 5 dead in shooting at building housing Blackstone and NFL offices

Five people, including a New York police officer, were killed and several injured after a gunman opened fire inside a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday. The 27-year-old suspect, identified by law enforcement as Shane Tamura, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Armed with a rifle, Tamura entered the 44-storey building – home to top companies like Blackstone, KPMG, Deutsche Bank along with the NFL (National Football League) headquarters – around 6:30 pm during the evening rush and began shooting.

Surveillance footage from outside the building at 345 Park Avenue showed the gunman striding toward the building wearing sunglasses and carrying a rifle.

“At this time, the scene has been contained, and the lone shooter has been neutralised,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Disch confirmed on X.

The building, which also includes the office of the consulate general of Ireland, is owned by Rudin Management, one of New York’s oldest and largest real estate firms.

Visuals on social media showed how people inside the building barricaded doors using sofas and chairs for protection as the gunman went on a rampage. Another footage showed lines of people being evacuated from the building with their hands above their heads.

The New York fire department was first alerted of the shooting at around 6.30 pm, following which emergency crews were rushed to the Park Avenue office building.

The NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams asked the public to avoid the vicinity of East 52 Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue.

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York mayor, condoled the loss of lives in the “horrific shooting”.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown, and I am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts,” Mamdani wrote on X.

WHO WAS SHANE TAMURA?

The gunman who opened fire has been identified as Shane Tamura. Police said he doesn’t have any significant criminal history.

Tamura was born in Hawaii but later moved to Las Vegas. Law enforcement sources told CNN that Tamura had an expired private investigator’s licence registered in Nevada. He also played competitive football in his youth.

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