A man with apparently no motive other than to kill radomly travelled thousands of miles to NYC and shot dead four people and then took his own life | Credit: @barclaysplat14 on X
Shane Tamura, 27, drove 2,500 miles from Las Vegas to New York City with the sole intent of walking into an office block on Manhattan´s Park Avenue on Monday and opening fire randomly before taking a lift to the 33rd floor to continue shooting aimlessly. He killed four people before taking his own life.
Among the four dead was Didarul Islam, 36, father of two and a third one on the way. He’d been working for the New York Police for three years but was in the building working security at the time of the senseless rampage.
According to a BBC report, the gunman was known to have mental health issues, and authorities are investigating the reasons and motive for him to embark on a journey across the United States to commit this senseless act.
Ducking, covering and barricading
The skyscraper Tamura chose for his last day on Earth is home to the National Football League (NFL), and financial giants, such as Blackstone, KPMG and other major firms.
The lone gunman began shooting at around 18:30 ET on Monday, July 29th, sending people in the street running for cover. Police at the scene warned of an active gunman. Those inside the building ducked and tried to find cover from Tamura’s gunfire. They barricaded the doors to impede him from entering.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that the Las Vegas gunman acted alone, and reported a fifth victim was shot and was in “critical but stable condition”.
Police searched Tamura’s Las Vegas-registered car, which he had left double-parked out front, and found several magazine rounds and a revolver. The deranged shooter was a registered gun owner in Nevada.
To a grinding halt
The incident brought swathes of Midtown Manhattan and public transportation to a grinding halt. A BBC journalist at the scene reported seeing several police vehicles and at least one person with a bloodied chest being taken away by medics.
Bystanders reported hearing what sounded like gunshots, and police officers instructed those nearby, including the BBC journalist, to shelter in neighbouring buildings.
