NY NFL HQ gunman diagnosed with CTE after deadly July attack

The New York City medical examiner on Friday ruled that Shane Tamura, the Las Vegas casino worker who killed four people and wounded another at the NFL’s New York headquarters in July, had unambiguous diagnostic evidence of low-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in his brain. CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma and can only be diagnosed after death, a finding that adds a medical dimension to a case that already drew scrutiny of mental health and security policies surrounding professional football.

Tamura, 27, carried out the July 28 attack at the Manhattan office building at 345 Park Avenue, firing into the offices and killing four people: NYPD officer Didarul Islam; Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner; security guard Aland Etienne; and real estate professional Julia Hyman. A fifth person, Craig Clementi, who works in the NFL’s finance department, was shot in the back but survived. Tamura shot himself in the chest after the assault. Investigators said he had traveled across the country with the apparent aim of targeting the NFL office but took the wrong elevator, complicating the plan. A three-page note found in his wallet accused the NFL of hiding brain injuries connected to football and urged readers to study his brain after his death.

Authorities described Tamura as having a history of mental illness. In September 2023, he was arrested in Las Vegas on a misdemeanor trespassing charge after becoming agitated when asked for ID at a suburban casino; prosecutors later dismissed the case. The attack prompted immediate questions about security at the league’s facilities and the handling of players’ and staffers’ safety in high-profile workplaces.

Following the attack, the NFL urged upgraded security at its facilities. A memo obtained by The Athletic outlined recommendations including armed officers on site when players or staff are present, weapons screening for entrants, and updated risk assessments at every league or team facility. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the tragedy and said the league would continue to bolster protections for its people. The league’s broader narrative on brain injuries has evolved since the early 2010s, culminating in a 2016 congressional acknowledgment of a link between football and CTE and more than $1.4 billion paid to retired players to settle concussion-related claims.

Tamura’s wallet note and the medical examiner’s ruling add a medical context to a case that spurred debate about the long-term effects of head trauma in football and the measures sports leagues take to address safety. The diagnosis after death means researchers will continue examining how CTE may influence behavior and decision-making, while law enforcement and security officials review the circumstances that allowed the July attack to unfold. The NFL’s security posture remains under scrutiny as the league seeks to balance open, high-profile workplaces with robust precautions for employees, partners and visitors. Researchers and policymakers will undoubtedly watch closely as investigations and discussions on brain injuries in contact sports persist, and as medical understanding of CTE continues to evolve.