The shooter responsible for the deaths of an NYPD officer and three others in Midtown on July 28, 2025, was reportedly driven by his anger towards the NFL.
Shane Tamra, a 27-year-old who ultimately ended his own life, had been a promising high school soccer player and had claimed to suffer from CTE, which is often associated with football-related injuries.
What is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive brain disease that arises from repeated head injuries.
The condition deteriorates with time and can be exacerbated by subsequent head injuries that occur before a previous one has completely healed.
Doctors currently lack the ability to diagnose CTE while a person is alive; it can only be confirmed through an autopsy after death.
This disease is pertinent to sports, especially contact sports like soccer, due to the nature of physical engagement.
A 2017 study by the Center for CTE at Boston University revealed that of 111 NFL brains analyzed, 110 exhibited some level of CTE.
A survey from September 2024 involving 2,000 former NFL players indicated that about one-third believed they had CTE.
Shane Tamra claimed to have it
In a letter found on him during the incident, Tamra expressed he was suffering from CTE.
His notes included phrases like, “You can’t oppose the NFL, I’ll crush you,” and suggested that the league concealed the risks associated with brain injury for profit.
Living in Las Vegas, Tamra had been a high school soccer player in Southern California but didn’t pursue the sport at the college or professional levels.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams mentioned on July 29, 2025, that Tamra had been indicating he had played in the NFL.
He referenced Terry Long in a suicide letter
In his writings, Tamra mentioned Terry Long, a former Steelers player diagnosed with CTE who died by suicide at the age of 45 after consuming antifreeze.
He wrote, “Terry Long, soccer gave me a CTE, which gave me a gallon of antifreeze.”
Long had a lengthy career with the Steelers, appearing in 194 games from 1984 to 1991.
Other NFL players known to have CTE
Alongside Long, several prominent NFL players have been found to have CTE, including wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau.
Also noteworthy is Aaron Hernandez, a former Patriots tight end, who was convicted of murder and later died by suicide, showing signs of CTE.
Other players with CTE include tight end Frank Wycheck, linebacker Giovan Bellecke, and defensive back Irv Cross.
