Shane Tamura, the gunman behind the New York City shooting, left a disturbing note for his parents before traveling from his Las Vegas home to New York City in a rampage targeting the National Football League.
Tamura, 27, a former high school football standout, wrote in his letter to his parents that he felt like he had let them down, according to the New York Post. "When I look into you and dad's eyes, I see complete disappointment," it read. Tamura was born and grew up in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, and was the son of a Los Angeles Police Department officer with 18 years of service.
Eerie Note for His Parents
Records suggest that Tamura was issued a security guard license by the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services on March 7, 2019, but it expired on March 31, 2021. He also held a private investigator license in Nevada, which listed his parents' address as his home. That license, issued in December 2019, expired on December 28.
The license said he had a "no" firearm status, meaning he was not legally permitted to carry a weapon while working. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that Tamura had a documented history of mental health issues.
Despite this, he somehow managed to get a concealed carry permit from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He was carrying that permit when he entered the high-rise at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and shot and killed four people.
Tamura had traveled across the country to carry out the deadly attack in broad daylight before ultimately taking his own life.
It has now emerged that Tamura, who was most recently employed in the surveillance department at the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and casino, held the NFL responsible for his mental health struggles.
A three-page letter found on his body he railed against the league's approach to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder closely associated with sports that involve repeated head trauma.
"Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze," Tamura wrote, according to CNN. "You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you."
The gunman was referring to former Pittsburgh Steelers player Terry Long, who died by suicide in 2006 after ingesting antifreeze, following struggles linked to CTE. "Study my brain please I'm sorry Tell Rick I'm sorry for everything," the note read.
Serious Mental Health Struggles
Police found medication inside Tamura's BMW, which he had driven across the country. When he arrived at the lobby of the high-rise building that houses the NFL headquarters around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, he began shooting—killing NYPD Officer Didarul Islam in the back and injuring a security guard who had tried to hide behind a desk.
Tamura then made his way to the 33rd floor, home to Rudin Management's offices—which oversees that building and several others throughout New York City—where he fatally shot Rudin employee Julia Hyman.
The attack also claimed the lives of Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner and security guard Aland Etienne.
Authorities now believe the shooting was premeditated and likely suicidal.
It has since come to light that an associate supplied Tamura with parts for the M4 assault rifle he used during the attack.
In a video update on Tuesday, Commissioner Tisch stated that investigators were heading to Tamura's home in Las Vegas to carry out interviews and execute a search warrant.
