In a tragic turn of events on Monday evening at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, gunfire erupted, sending employees fleeing for their lives. The incident resulted in four deaths, including New York police officer Didarul Islam, who was shot as he confronted the assailant.
As commutes from work began, employees experienced sudden panic, with many barricading themselves in conference rooms or sending desperate texts to loved ones. Jessica Chen, a second-floor worker, expressed her fear in a message to her parents, saying, "I love them," as chaos ensued.
The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, drove cross-country to the bustling area and fired an assault rifle into the lobby of the skyscraper where NFL offices are located. He quickly gunned down officer Islam and continued his rampage, injuring others, including an NFL employee.
Inside the building, frantic emails and messages were sent, alerting coworkers of the situation. Blackstone employees piled furniture against doors while colleagues on the NFL floor were instructed to stay silent and hidden as the tragedy unfolded.
In a twist of fate, Tamura mistakenly boarded the wrong elevator, leading him to an unrelated office on the 33rd floor. After claiming another victim, he turned the gun on himself.
Investigators are piecing together Tamura's journey, which involved a note expressing his struggles with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and a desire to have his brain studied. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about gun violence and mental health in the US.
