Gunman Opens Fire Inside NFL Headquarters Building, Leaves Note Blaming Football for Brain Trauma

New York, July 29, 2025 — A devastating shooting unfolded Monday evening at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, home to the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL), leaving five people dead — including a retired NYPD officer — and several others wounded. The attacker, 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura of Nevada, died by suicide on the 33rd floor of the building.

Authorities say Tamura carried out a calculated assault with a semi-automatic rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. In his possession was a handwritten note blaming football — and by extension, the NFL — for a severe decline in his mental health, which he attributed to possible CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.

From Nevada to New York: A Cross-Country Trail of Warning Signs

Investigators revealed that Tamura drove cross-country from Nevada in the days leading up to the attack. Traffic cameras recorded his vehicle last in Columbia, New Jersey, around 4:24 p.m. ET on July 28. Less than two hours later, he entered the 345 Park Avenue building — dressed in tactical gear and carrying an M4-style rifle — and opened fire in the lobby.

Tamura’s first victim was a retired NYPD officer, Didarul Islam, 36, who was working a private security detail at the time. Islam was fatally shot while reportedly attempting to intervene, an act of bravery that likely prevented more casualties.

Tamura then proceeded to shoot multiple people in the building’s entrance and lobby areas, fatally striking two civilians before taking an elevator to the 33rd floor. There, he killed a fourth individual and ended his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

One NFL employee was seriously injured during the chaos but is expected to recover, according to an internal statement released by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

A Troubled Mind and a Note Pointing to Football

Inside Tamura’s pocket, police discovered a multi-page note that revealed the depth of his mental and emotional decline. The note expressed anger toward the NFL and referenced “severe cognitive issues” that Tamura believed stemmed from his time playing high school football.

In one line, he wrote:

“They trained me to hit like a machine. But no one warned me what it would do to my brain.”

Tamura mentioned Terry Long, a former NFL player who died by suicide after suffering from undiagnosed CTE, and referenced multiple other cases of football-linked mental illness. He asked that his brain be examined post-mortem to determine whether he also suffered from the disease.

CTE and the NFL: An Uncomfortable Conversation Reignited

CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, has long haunted the NFL. The degenerative brain condition, caused by repeated blows to the head, has been linked to depression, aggression, memory loss, and suicidal behavior. While it can only be diagnosed after death, the disease has been identified in dozens of former NFL players.

Though Tamura never played professionally, his letter suggests a belief that his years in high school football caused irreversible harm. He graduated from Granada Hills Charter High School in California, where he played as a linebacker.

This tragedy revives a painful and unresolved debate around player safety and long-term brain damage in contact sports — a conversation the league has worked hard to manage, if not silence.

NFL Responds as Security and Grief Take Center Stage

The NFL has remained mostly quiet in public but quickly moved to support affected staff. In a memo to employees, Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the shooting and confirmed that one staff member was hospitalized.

“One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack,” Goodell wrote. “He is currently in stable condition. NFL staff are at the hospital and providing full support to his family. We believe all other employees are safe and accounted for.”

The 345 Park Avenue building also houses several major corporations, including private equity firm Blackstone. Following the shooting, the building was evacuated and locked down as tactical teams secured the scene.

City and State Officials React: A Call for Action on Guns and Mental Health
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul have both called the incident a tragedy that could have been prevented. In a press briefing Tuesday morning, Adams said:

“This wasn’t just a random act of violence. It was the result of a failure to support mental health and regulate access to deadly weapons. We must do better.”

Tamura, according to Nevada state records, had previously been held twice under mental health crisis statutes — once in 2022 and again in 2024. Despite these red flags, he legally obtained firearms and passed federal background checks.

The FBI is now assisting in a full investigation to determine whether Tamura had been targeting the NFL specifically or chose the building for symbolic reasons. His connection to the league appears emotional rather than personal.

Remembering the Victims, Especially a Hero

The shooting has left a city in mourning. Particularly honored is Officer Didarul Islam, remembered as a devoted father of two, with a third child on the way. Flags across New York have been lowered to half-staff in his memory.

A community vigil is planned later this week outside the building, where hundreds are expected to gather in remembrance of the victims and in solidarity against violence.

A Deeper Crisis Behind a National Pastime

This incident has exposed the intersection of multiple ongoing American crises: gun violence, untreated mental illness, and the long-term health risks associated with contact sports. While the tragedy at 345 Park Avenue may appear isolated, it echoes a broader truth — that unresolved trauma, when left untreated and misunderstood, can spill out into public life with devastating consequences.

For the NFL and sports institutions across the country, Tamura’s final message is a chilling reminder: the game doesn’t always end on the field.