Las Vegas police released new information on Tuesday regarding the mother of a man who fatally shot four individuals in a Manhattan office building. She had called 911 in 2022, indicating her son was threatening suicide after returning home from the NFL, and mentioned that he struggled with concussions and other related issues.
The 27-year-old shooter, Shane Tamura, reportedly had a known history of mental health challenges. Investigators discovered that he carried a handwritten note in his wallet when the shooting occurred, which cited chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He alleged that the football league was hiding the dangers of brain damage linked to playing contact sports.
On September 12, 2022, Tamura’s mother informed the dispatcher that her son was battling depression, chronic migraines, and insomnia, adding that he was using sleeping pills and marijuana. At one point, he placed a gun in his backpack, which was part of two incidents leading to his hospitalization for a mental health crisis.
“He said he would kill himself,” she recounted during the 911 call. “He mentioned he didn’t have a plan, just that he couldn’t endure it anymore.”
From outside the motel, where she had been staying, his mother relayed to the dispatcher that her son was threatening self-harm.
Tamura had recently been employed at Horseshoe Las Vegas until just a week prior. Authorities reported that he drove to New York and opened fire. During the incident, he was seen exiting his vehicle with an M4 rifle and entered the lobby where he shot a police officer and a woman before continuing his attack.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene in the lobby. Tamura reportedly allowed one woman to leave unharmed before proceeding to the 33rd floor, where he shot another victim and then turned the gun on himself. It remains unclear how long the chaos lasted. Police Chief Jessica Tish stated that the situation was under control and that the shooter was neutralized.
In body camera footage from a first responder, it’s indicated that Tamura had previously been committed to the hospital in 2024, following a call to his mother in which he expressed a desire to harm himself.
Tamura, who had just worked at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, had made the trip to New York shortly before the tragic event unfolded.
