A shooter opened fire at an office tower in Manhattan in New York City, killing a police officer and at least three civilians, officials said on Monday.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) posted to X that the shooter is also dead and that the scene has been contained.
Police said that the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that authorities were yet to establish a motive. A sixth man is also critically injured.
The shooter targeted a high-rise building that houses some of the country’s top financial firms, including hedge fund giant Blackstone and auditor KPMG, and the headquarters of the National Football League or NFL.
5 people are dead in shooting incident, including shooter, officials say
At a press conference, New York Mayor Eric Adams said officials are still “unraveling” what took place. “Five innocent people were shot” in addition to the perpetrator, he said.
Adams said “another male is seriously injured, fighting for his life in critical condition.” The suspect died of a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Adams said, confirming earlier reports in US media.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the “senseless act of violence” that had killed “four New Yorkers, including one of New York’s Finest.”
“Our hearts are with their loved ones and everyone affected by this tragedy, and we honor the first responders who bravely ran toward danger,” Kothul said on X.
NYPD officer killed in shooting emigrated from Bangladesh
The NYPD officer killed in the shooting was identified as Didarul Islam, a three-and-a-half-year veteran of the department who was born in Bangladesh, Adams said.
“He died as he lived. A hero,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. He was married with two young boys, and his wife is pregnant with their third child, she said.
Suspect was carrying M4 rifle as he entered building lobby where he ‘immediately’ opened fire
Tisch described how surveillance video footage showed a man exiting a double-parked BMW and carrying an M4 assault rifle as he walked toward the building.
He immediately opened fire on the police officer who was killed and shot a woman who tried to take cover.
The suspect then began “spraying” the lobby with bullets, Tisch said, before making his way to the elevator bank, where he shot a security guard behind a security desk. He also shot another man in the lobby, the police commissioner explained.
She added that police had found a rifle case, a revolver, magazines and ammunition in the suspect’s car.
The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said emergency teams received reports of shots being fired at around 6:30pm local time (10:30pm GMT), during rush hour in the busy part of the city.
Gunman had mental health issues, NYPD commissioner says
Police have identified the gunman as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, with Tisch telling reporters at the news conference that the suspect had a “documented mental health history.” But it was unclear what the motive was.
“We are working to understand why he targeted this particular location,” Tisch said, referring to the tower the gunman attacked. The area where the shooting took place is popular with tourists and people visiting on business.
The front runner in the race for New York mayor, Zohran Mamdani, said he was “heartbroken” at the news of the “horrific shooting.”
NY mayor condemns gun violence
“The horrific crime reminds us all how easy it is to gain access to a gun. Gun violence has scarred so many neighbors and ripped apart too many families across this entire country,” Adams said during the press briefing. According to theGun Violence Archive, there have been over 250 shootings in the US so far this year in which four or more people have been shot or killed.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
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