Wesley Lepatner, Didarul Islam, Julia Hyman and Aland Etienne. Credit :
Kelly Taub/BFA/Shutterstock; NYPD/X; LinkedIn; Gathmand Etienne/Facebook
A gunman opened fire in a New York City office building on Monday, July 28, killing four people before turning the gun on himself. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, drove across the country to New York City before walking into the lobby of 345 Park Avenue armed with an M4 rifle.
Tamura, who was a high school football player, claimed in a suicide note that he suffered from CTE — the degenerative brain condition linked to head trauma — and was allegedly planning to target the NFL offices in his attack.
He entered the wrong elevator bank and instead stepped off on the 33rd floor of the building, where he fired more rounds before killing himself.
Along with the four innocent people killed in the attack, others were injured, including an NFL employee. In a memo sent out to staffers after the attack, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell condemned the “unspeakable act of violence.”
Here’s what we know about the four victims killed inside a N.Y.C. office building Monday.
Didarul Islam. NYPD/X
Didarul Islam, 36, an off-duty police officer who was working as a security guard at the time of the attack, was shot in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue. He was a 3 ½-year veteran with the NYPD, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and was a father of two. At the time of his death, Islam’s wife was pregnant with their third child.
Islam worked as a security officer before joining the NYPD, his friend told the New York Times, also noting that Islam acted as a mentor for other young Bangladeshi men in his community.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press conference held after the shooting that the slain officer “was doing what he does best … He was saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers.”
Adams added, “He loved this city. And everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith, and a person who believed in God and believed and living out the life of a godly person. He embodies what this city is all about. He’s a true-blue New Yorker.”
Wesley LePatner. Kelly Taub/BFA/Shutterstock
Wesley LePatner worked as an executive at Blackstone, a global investment firm with offices at 345 Park Avenue.
LePatner was in the lobby when she was shot, according to the Wall Street Journal. She had been working for the company since 2014, and was the Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and the Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), according to her biography on the company’s site.
“Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond,” Blackstone said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family.”
Aland Etienne. Gathmand Etienne/Facebook
Security guard Aland Etienne was working in the lobby at 345 Park Avenue when he was shot, his union confirmed to PEOPLE. The 46-year-old was remembered as “a New York hero” in a statement from 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich.
“Every time a security officer puts on their uniform, they put their lives on the line,” Pastreich said. “Their contributions to our city are essential, though often unappreciated.”
In a Facebook post after Etienne’s death, his brother Gathmand Etienne called his death “a heartbreaking tragedy,” writing, “He was more than a brother — he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives. Our hearts are shattered, and we’re asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time.”
Julia Hyman. LinkedIn
Rudin Management employee Julia Hyman was shot by Tamura on the 33rd floor of the building before the gunman killed himself. Tamura entered Hyman’s floor while planning to target the NFL offices, which are located on a different floor, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.
Hyman, 27, was a recent college graduate who received her degree from the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
Hyman had been working at Rudin as an associate since November 2024, and had been with the building management company, which is the owner of 345 Park Avenue, for nine months.
