Manhattan Shooting Kills Five, Suspect Linked to CTE Disease

The recent deadly shooting in a Manhattan office building, which houses the NFL headquarters, was committed by Shane Tamura, who claimed in a note to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to repeated head injuries. Although Tamura was not a professional football player and had no formal CTE diagnosis, his note has reignited discussion about the disease's potential impact on mood disorders, cognitive decline, and violent behavior. CTE is most commonly seen in athletes and military veterans exposed to repeated head trauma and is characterized by symptoms such as memory loss, mood changes, confusion, and difficulty thinking clearly. Experts note that CTE usually begins in small regions of the frontal lobes but can spread to affect widespread brain areas, causing profound cognitive and behavioral impairments over time. Diagnosing CTE remains challenging as it cannot currently be confirmed in living individuals, and ongoing research is exploring how brain organization and signal transport disruptions contribute to symptom development. The case highlights the urgent need for better understanding of CTE’s mechanisms and its broader implications beyond professional athletes.