New York office gunman had low-level CTE, medical examiner finds

The New York City chief medical examiner's office said Friday that Shane Tamura, the man who killed four people in a Park Avenue office building in July before taking his own life, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in a low stage. The autopsy concluded the diagnosis was unambiguous.

Tamura, 27, drove from Las Vegas to New York City with an assault-style rifle and opened fire in the building that housed the NFL offices, though investigators say he targeted the NFL for reasons tied to the league rather than personal animus toward specific people. He took the wrong elevator and ended up in a different part of the building. The shooting left four people dead and several others injured, including an NFL employee.

Among those killed were NYPD officer Didarul Islam; Wesley LePatner, an employee of Blackstone; and Julia Hyman, an employee at Rudin Management. NFL employee Craig Clementi was seriously injured.

In notes left at the scene, Tamura reportedly blamed the NFL for concealing the effects of CTE and asked that his brain be studied. A senior official told ABC News that he wrote “study my brain please” and “I'm sorry.”

Police said Tamura was known to have mental health issues, according to authorities.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head and has been found in the brains of dozens of former NFL players. It can only be diagnosed after death, and the disease's symptoms may include memory loss, depression and progressive dementia. The chief medical examiner's office said the disease's physical and mental manifestations remain under study.

Tamura was a former high school football player who did not play in the NFL. The case highlights ongoing health concerns about head trauma and its potential long-term effects, and it underscores the need for continued research into CTE and its impact on behavior and mental health.