What started off as an ordinary Monday evening in Manhattan’s bustling Midtown quickly spiraled into a horrifying scene.
Just as people were wrapping up their workday at 345 Park Avenue—a skyscraper that houses global firms like Blackstone, KPMG, and even the NFL—a gunman stormed into the building and opened fire in broad daylight, killing four people and critically injuring another.
The Shocking Sequence of Events
According to officials, the suspect arrived in a black BMW, armed with an M-4 rifle.
Surveillance cameras caught him calmly stepping out of the vehicle before walking into the building and immediately targeting a police officer in the lobby.
From there, he unleashed a hail of bullets, “spraying the lobby,” as Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described it.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed at a hospital press briefing that the shooter appeared to have taken his own life after the attack.
Victims Included a Brave Officer and Office Workers
Among those tragically killed was a 36-year-old NYPD officer originally from Bangladesh.
Two other men and one woman also lost their lives.
A fifth person is currently fighting for their life in the hospital.
Mayor Adams expressed his grief during his late-night statement: “We lost four souls to another act of senseless violence,” he said, visibly shaken.
Suspect Identified with Troubling Background
The shooter has been identified as Shane Tamura, a man from Las Vegas. Commissioner Tisch revealed that Tamura had a documented history of mental health issues.
After searching his car, authorities discovered a revolver, extra ammunition, and magazines, raising further concerns about how heavily armed he was when he entered the building.
Panic and Fear on the Streets of Park Avenue
The shooting started around 6 p.m., just as office workers were beginning to head home.
Hundreds of officers rushed to the scene, locking down the area and causing widespread panic.
One office worker broke down in tears as she was finally allowed to leave.
Another, Shad Sakib, said he was getting ready to leave when an announcement told everyone to shelter in place.
“Everyone was confused… Then someone found out online that a guy with a machine gun was in the building next door,” he recalled.
He added chillingly, “We saw a photo of him walking through the same area I use to get lunch.”
Witnesses Recall the Nightmare
A woman who was in the building said the shooter was going “floor by floor.”
Others described the chaos, the lockdown, and the overwhelming fear. One witness simply wept as she left the scene.
Heavy Police Response Shuts Down Midtown
During the rush-hour frenzy, drones hovered overhead and officers armed with long guns secured the entire block.
Journalists and bystanders were repeatedly pushed back as authorities tried to control the scene.
The skyscraper is in an area surrounded by five-star business hotels, elite law firms, and global finance offices—an unusual place for such a violent event.
Reaction from Leaders and the Public
New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed she had been briefed, while city mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani posted on X, saying he was “heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in Midtown.”
Another Grim Statistic in America’s Gun Crisis
This attack marks the 254th mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Their definition includes incidents where four or more people are shot, which puts this event firmly on the list.
A City in Shock, a Nation Still Searching for Answers
With no clear motive yet disclosed, many are left questioning—again—how such violence continues to happen so easily.
Is this another wake-up call about gun control in America? Many New Yorkers certainly think so.