NYC shooter’s last words: Plea for brain to be studied

The chilling last words of the gunman who entered a New York City skyscraper and opened fire, killing four people before himself, have been uncovered. Shooter Shane Devon Tamura was found with a note in his back pocket, in which he pleaded for his brain to be studied and also targeted the NFL, Knewz.com can reveal. Tamura, 27, was a former high school football player who claimed to suffer from CTE, a degenerative brain disease associated with frequent head injuries.

As RadarOnline.com reported, surveillance footage captured Tamura walking into 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, where the NFL headquarters are located, carrying an M4 rifle on Monday, July 28. Upon entering the building, he “immediately opened fire” on an NYPD officer. He then took the elevator to the 33rd floor, where he discharged his weapon once again. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tamura “has a documented mental health history” and recently drove across the country from Las Vegas to NYC.

While authorities are still investigating a motive, a note discovered in the shooter’s pocket shed some light on his state of mind before he carried out the act of violence. Tamura’s handwritten note read, “Terry Long football gave me CTE, and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze. You can’t go against the NFL; they’ll squash you. Study my brain, please. I’m sorry. Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said it appeared Tamura “blamed the NFL” for his alleged CTE. Adams said at a press conference on Tuesday, July 29, “We have reason to believe he was focused on the NFL agency that was located in the building. He appeared to have blamed the NFL for his injury.” A preliminary investigation by police found no evidence Tamura suffered from CTE, though the disease can be complicated to diagnose in a living person. An NFL staff member was injured in Tamura’s attack, which claimed the lives of the NYPD officer and three others.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told staff in a letter that one of their own was “seriously injured” in the mass shooting but survived. NYPD Captain John Monaghan reportedly said Tamura appeared to be aware his rampage would cost him his life based on how he entered the Manhattan office building. Monaghan said, “It’s clear from the picture [of the gunman’s entrance] he is not worried about getting caught. This is a guy who went into that building knowing, intending to kill someone and probably knowing he was not going to come out alive.” Tamura was working as a security guard at a Las Vegas casino and had been issued a concealed firearms permit by the Las Vegas Police Department. He graduated high school in the Los Angeles area and was described as a standout football player and “goofball” by his former teammates.