NYC shooter played football in Southern California – NBC Los Angeles

The gunman who opened fire Monday in a New York City office building, killing four people, was identified as a former Southern California high school football player.

Law enforcement in New York identified the gunman in the Park Avenue building shooting as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, of Las Vegas. He is a former running back at Granada Hills Charter High School and Golden Valley High School of Santa Clarita.

Tamura was seen carrying a long gun as he entered the Manhattan skyscraper, where the headquarters of the
National Football League and the alternative investment management company Blackstone are located. Authorities said Tamura opened fire in the lobby, went to another floor and fired more rounds.

Four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer, were killed. Authorities said Tamura died after turning the gun on himself.

A three-page note was found in Tamura’s wallet, officials familiar with the investigation said overnight.
Tamura expressed anger in the note that his mental illness may be linked to his having played football in his youth, according to officials familiar with the investigation.

Specifically, the note included references to CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative disease found in individuals with a history of repetitive head injuries. Symptoms include cognitive impairment and mood, personality and behavioral changes, as well as movement disorders. It can only be diagnosed in autopsy.

CTE can only be diagnosed after death and an examination of brain tissue.

Tamura rushed for 616 yards and five touchdowns on 126 carries and caught 25 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns as senior for Granada Hills Charter High School in 2015, according to the high school sports website MaxPreps. He rushed for 774 yards and 11 touchdowns on 139 carries for Golden Valley of Santa Clarita as a junior in 2014, according to MaxPreps.

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Tamura recently drove from Las Vegas to New York City, authorities said, adding that investigators found a rifle case with rounds, ammunition magazines and a loaded revolver in his BMW.

“You never would have thought violence was something you’d associate with him,” former classmate Caleb Clarke told NBC News. “Everything he said was a joke.”

Former coach Walter Roby described Tamura as a talented running back and “a great player” who was “real elusive, real agile.”

“He came in, worked hard, kept his nose down,” Roby said. “He was a quiet kid, well-mannered, very coachable. Whatever needed to be done, he would do.

“I’m just blown away right now.”

Tamura did not play in college or the NFL.

In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Mayor Eric Adams was asked about the possible link between the note and whether Tamura planned to target NFL offices. Adams said Tamura was trying to target league headquarters, but entered the wrong set of elevators.

“He talked about CTE. He was not an NFL player. We have reason to believe that he was focused on the NFL agency that was located in the building, and we’re going to continue to investigate with our federal partners to ensure that we can find a reason,” Adams responded, adding that the NYPD found an additional weapon in a car that was parked outside.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the shooting in a note to employees late Monday. He noted an NFL employee was seriously injured in the attack and was last said to be hospitalized in stable condition.