A man who opened fire in a New York City office, killing four people and wounding others before turning the gun on himself, carried a note claiming to have a traumatic brain injury, authorities said.
The shooter was identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura.
A note found in his pocket stated that he suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), and asked that his brain be studied. Tamura's note made references to the NFL, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.
"He seemed to have blamed the NFL," Adams in a press conference, ESPN reported. "The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank."
The incident occurred at 345 Park Avenue, a building that houses Blackstone, the NFL, and a KPMG office.
What is CTE?
CTE is a brain disorder that has been diagnosed in people who have suffered repeated head injuries, including some NFL players.
Brain researchers believe repeated, subconcussive hits to the head can damage nerve cells, causing serious disruption to cognitive function and mood.
Symptoms of CTE include memory loss, impaired decision making, anxiety, depression, personality changes, and impulsiveness.
The condition progresses over time and can take years to develop.
There is no cure, and there is no way to definitively diagnose CTE during life (it requires posthumous analysis of the brain).
However, there are medications and therapies that may help manage symptoms in people suspected of having CTE.
CTE is a hot-button topic in football
Contact sports like football, mixed martial arts, and rugby are a risk factor for CTE since they involve recurring impacts to the head, research shows. People in certain military roles, such as those routinely firing heavy weapons, also have a higher a risk of CTE.
The brain disease has become a controversial topic in professional sports leagues such as the NFL.
CTE has been identified in high-profile incidents involving former pro athletes who have died suddenly or committed violent crimes.
Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams who shot and killed six people and then himself in 2021. New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was convicted a murder before his death by suicide at 27 years old. He was posthumously diagnosed with the worst case of CTE researchers had ever seen.
The shooter may have been targeting the NFL, Mayor Adams said
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Tamura, the suspect in the recent NYC shooting, was a football player in high school, and mentioned the NFL in the three-page note, the police said.
"Football gave me CTE and it cause me to drink a gallon of antifreeze," Tamura's note read.
The note also added, "You can't go against the NFL," and on the third page,"The league knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits. They failed us."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press conference that authorities believe the shooter was trying to reach the NFL offices but reached the wrong floor.
