Cliff Notes
- Five people, including a police officer, have died in a shooting at a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper; the suspected gunman, identified as Shane Devon Tamura, took his own life after the attack.
- The incident occurred at 345 Park Avenue, home to several major firms and the NFL; details about the motive for the shooting remain unclear.
- The NYPD has confirmed the scene is contained and urged the public to avoid the area while they manage the ongoing investigation and support from federal agents.
Five dead including police officer after shooting at New York skyscraper | US News
Five people, including a police officer, have died after a shooting at a New York skyscraper.
The lone gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing the officer and four civilians, officials said.
The suspect was identified as a 27-year-old man from Las Vegas called Shane Devon Tamura, four senior law enforcement officials told US News.
His motive is not yet clear.
The New York Police Department (NYP) confirmed the fatalities, while it was reported the police officer who died was off duty.
The shooting is reported to have happened at 345 Park Avenue – a skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan which houses both the headquarters of the investment firm Blackstone and the National Football League (NFL).
It also houses offices belonging to KPMG, as well as the consulate general of Ireland and a Bank of America branch.
The gunman was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an assault rifle when he opened fire at the skyscraper, unnamed police sources have told the New York Post newspaper.
He was deliberately targeting Muslims
Nekeisha Lewis, who was eating dinner in the plaza of the building at the time of the shooting, said: “We heard the shots, I looked up and I saw the first wall of the first floor shatter.
“I realised ‘oh my god’ this is a shootout, it felt like you were in a war zone almost. I saw a worker run out, he was running so frantically I thought he was just trying to get away.
“By the time he got to us he said ‘help, help, I’ve been shot’. I turned to my left and looked at him and saw he had a wound in his back, and my partner who was ahead of me had also looked at him and seen that he had a wound, that looked like an entry wound or an exit wound on the front, so (the bullet) might have gone all the way through.”
She added that the police then took over and helped the man get treatment.
The New York Police Department had urged people to avoid the vicinity of East 52 Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue as they searched for the suspect.
It added in a post on X: “Expect emergency vehicles & delays in the surrounding area.”
It came as Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, said its agents were “responding to provide support at the active crime scene in Manhattan”.
Jessica S. Tisch, police commissioner of New York City, later wrote on X: “UPDATE: At this time, the scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralised.”
Officers close to the scene had been seen stopping cars and looking inside as the force searched for the suspect, NBC New York reported.
Video from Lexington Avenue showed a police officer stop a yellow taxi SUV, having the windows be lowered and looking in the driver’s front passenger seat and back seats with flashlight.
The Fire Department of New York has said emergency crews were called to the Park Avenue office building Monday evening for a report of someone shot.
A spokesperson said the call came in around 6.30pm local time (11.30pm UK time).
New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier wrote on X: “New Yorkers: there is an active shooter investigation taking place in Midtown right now. Please take proper safety precautions if you are in vicinity and do not go outside if you are near Park Avenue and East 51st Street.”