NYC Shooter Kills Four, Blames NFL for Brain Disease in Suicide Note

Shane Tamura, the gunman responsible for a deadly shooting at a New York City office building housing the NFL headquarters, left a note blaming the NFL for his mental health struggles and a degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Tamura, a former high school football player, claimed in his note that football gave him CTE, which he linked to his actions and mental illness. Despite targeting the NFL offices, he mistakenly took the wrong elevator and opened fire on a real estate company’s employees, killing four people before shooting himself. Investigators also noted Tamura had a history of mental health issues, including crisis holds in Nevada, which may have contributed to the incident. The note expressed frustration over the NFL's handling of CTE, a condition caused by repeated head injuries that can only be diagnosed postmortem and has been linked to aggression and cognitive decline. Tamura’s case has renewed focus on the ongoing challenges of understanding and addressing CTE among football players and its broader impact on mental health.