Four people, including a police officer, were murdered on Monday after a gunman entered into a tower in downtown Manhattan and started fire in broad daylight, officials said.
During a late-night briefing at a hospital near the shooting scene, Mayor Eric Adams revealed that a fifth victim was critically injured and that the gunman appeared to have committed suicide.
According to police commissioner Jessica Tisch, the gunman was recorded on CCTV exiting a black BMW with an M-4 rifle, opening fire on a police officer, and “spraying the lobby” with bullets.
The office tower at 345 Park Avenue houses Blackstone, KPMG, and the National Football League.
During the conference, Tisch stated that the individual is thought to have acted alone. However, the FBI is aiding with the investigation.
The shooter, identified as Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, was found with a pistol, ammunition, and magazines in his vehicle, as well as prescription bearing his name.
According to Las Vegas law officers, the individual had a history of mental health difficulties.
However, he appeared to have a valid Nevada guns permit, Tisch said.
He arrived in New York on Monday after driving across the country from the southwestern state.
Around 6:00 p.m. (2200 GMT), police responded to reports of shooting in a busy office neighbourhood on Park Avenue, a famous tourist and business destination.
A worker from a nearby office block wept as she left when a local lockdown was lifted. Another described a gunman walking floor to floor as staff prepared to leave for the day.
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Adams said the fallen police officer, an immigrant from Bangladesh who was 36 years old, was among the deceased.
Officials did not provide a motive for the shootings, but two other males and a girl were killed, and another guy is critically injured.
Shad Sakib, an office worker, reported to AFP that he was about to leave work when he heard a public announcement to shelter in place.
Everyone was confused, like, ‘Wait, what’s going on?’ And then someone finally realised that it’s online; that someone walked in with a machine gun,” said the witness, who wore a grey suit jacket.
He walked right into a building right next door. We saw the photo of him walking through the same area that I walked through to get lunch here.
You would think it won’t happen to you, and then it does.”
In the United States, the right to bear arms takes precedence over stricter regulations, leading to frequent mass shootings.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 254 mass shootings in the US this year, including Monday’s incident in New York. A mass shooting occurs when four or more people are shot.
Police officers deployed a drone near Park Avenue at the height of the evening rush hour as hundreds of cops rushed the area, some carrying long weapons and others wearing bulletproof vests.
The area features several five-star business hotels and corporate headquarters. The United Nations headquarters is close.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that she has been briefed on the shooting.
Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate for mayor, expressed his condolences on X, saying he is “heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown and am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer… in my thoughts.”
