Erin Burnett from CNN has faced criticism for her comments regarding the gunman involved in a shooting at a midtown skyscraper that claimed the lives of NYPD officers and three civilians. She reported that the suspect was “probably white.”
The first image that circulated online showed Tamura, 27, in a suit, walking towards 345 Park Avenue while brandishing an AR-15 rifle.
During her broadcast on Monday evening, Burnett noted that police described the assailant as wearing “sunglasses, had a mustache, and was perhaps white.”
However, images released shortly after the incident portrayed Tamura with a darker or considerably ambiguous complexion.
Initial police reports also hinted that he might have Middle Eastern descent.
Critics online suggested that Burnett’s remarks were premature and not backed by concrete evidence.
One commenter noted, “He could be many things, but probably anything other than white,” while another posted, “CNN should be shut down for failing to report the truth consistently.” Some users argued that the suspect’s race should be deemed irrelevant.
Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old NYPD officer, was shot in the lobby, along with three civilians who have yet to be publicly identified, during Tamura’s attack in the upscale Midtown high-rise.
Here’s the latest on NYC’s mass shooting:
The 27-year-old perpetrator entered the 44-story building that hosts financial firm Blackstone and the NFL headquarters. Authorities indicated that Tamura had a “documented history of mental health issues,” and he initiated his violent spree shortly after entering the lobby, targeting Officer Islam first, as explained by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish during a press conference.
Social media videos captured bystanders fleeing the scene, while some workers were later seen emerging from the skyscraper with their hands raised in compliance.
