(NewsNation) — Officials from the NYPD reported that a shooter wielding an assault-style rifle fatally shot four individuals in a high-rise building in Manhattan, which includes the NFL headquarters and various financial firms, before committing suicide.
The gunman, Shane Tamura, 27, was believed to have acted alone in the shooting. An official motive has not yet been released.
Here are the victims of Monday evening’s shooting and what we know about them so far.
Didarul Islam
Officer Didarul Islam, 36, had served in the NYPD for over three years. Authorities mentioned that he was off-duty and employed in a private security role when the incident occurred, as reported by NewsNation affiliate WPIX.
“He put himself in harm’s way. He paid the ultimate sacrifice,” stated NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “Shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise he made to this city. He died as he lived, a hero.”
Didarul was a Bangladeshi immigrant who reportedly cherished New York City. Tisch noted that he is survived by a wife and two sons, with a third child on the way.
“My heart is with his loved ones, his NYPD family and every victim of this tragedy,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
“He embodies what this city is all about,” Mayor Adams said of Officer Islam, calling him a “true, blue New Yorker.”
Wesley LePatner
Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was identified as another victim of Monday’s shooting by a spokesperson with the company.
LePatner was the Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, according to Blackstone’s website. She had been a part of the investment firm since 2014.
“Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed,” a spokesperson conveyed in a statement. “She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond.”
The statement added that LePatner leaves behind her husband and children.
Aland Etienne
A security guard who was working at 345 Park Avenue, Aland Etienne, was killed in the shooting, according to the union that represented him, 32BJ SEIU.
“We are devastated to hear the reports of the shooting at 345 Park Avenue,” 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said in a statement. “We extend our deep condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones, including that of our own 32BJ SEIU security member Aland Etienne, a dedicated security officer who took his job duties extremely seriously.”
Pastreich added that Etienne’s death speaks to the sacrifice that he and others make “to keep New Yorkers and our buildings safe.”
“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. Aland Etienne is a New York hero. We will remember him as such.”
The union told the Associated Press that Etienne had worked at the building as a licensed, unarmed security since 2019.
Authorities have not identified the fourth person killed, nor a fifth person, who was seriously injured in the shooting.
