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Eerie uncertainties have surfaced after a shooter traveled cross-country to launch an attack in central Manhattan.
The solo attacker wielding a semi-automatic rifle audaciously entered a high-rise building, located less than a mile from Times Square, initiating a spree of violence that stunned the city overnight.
The shooter was named as Shane Tamura, 27, by NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Tamura attacked 345 Park Avenue on East 52nd Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue at about 6.30pm (11.30pm BST) on Monday.
He stormed the high-profile office block, sprayed the lobby with gunfire and killed four people including an off-duty police officer.
A fifth victim, who was critically injured and is understood to be an NFL employee, remains at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, officials said.
Emergency crews worked frantically to assist the victims, and one person, covered in blood, was observed being carried down a street, as others attended to another individual lying on the pavement nearby.
Hundreds were left running for their lives as they desperately tried to flee the horror.
Cops responded with counter-terrorism units, a bomb squad, and a heavy weapons team.
As an investigation into the shooting rampage continues, several key details have emerged that deepen the mystery of the shooter.
Why did the gunman travel across four states?
Tamura, 27 and a Las Vegas resident, travelled cross-country to carry out the shooting right in the heart of Manhattan.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), Tamura started from Las Vegas, and then his car travelled through Colorado on July 26.
He then travelled through Nebraska and Iowa on July 27, and was seen in Columbia, New Jersey, on July 28.
The vehicle entered New York City shortly thereafter, before he reached Manhattan.
He then double-parked his BMW, got inside the building and massacred four people before turning the gun on himself.
A photo obtained by the New York Post appeared to show Tamura – who went to high school in California – had a concealed firearms permit.
Why did he choose a high-profile skyscraper?
Tamura stormed the 345 Park Avenue office building – right in the heart of Manhattan – to carry out his shooting rampage.
The 634-foot skyscraper – owned by Rudin management – houses several financial firms, including Blackstone, Deutsche Bank, and KPMG.
It also houses the NFL headquarters and the office of the Consulate General of Ireland.
Rudin is one of the largest privately owned real estate companies in New York City.
Tamura took the elevator to the 33rd floor which was occupied by the landlord’s office.
He then “began to walk the floor, firing as he travelled” and killed one more man, Tisch said.
Tamura then shot himself in the chest, she added, with his body left splayed on the ground in a walkway inside the office.
There were no indications so far that Tamura had prior connections to the real estate industry or to the city.
Why did he spare a woman in elevator?
The shooter let a woman walk by unharmed, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference.
It is understood that after shooting several people while entering the building, the gunman called for an elevator to go up from the lobby.
In a chilling moment of mercy, Tamura then spared the life of a woman who came face-to-face with him as she exited an elevator.
“A female exits that elevator, and he allows her to walk past him unharmed,” Tisch said.
Tamura previously shot at a woman in the lobby, it is understood, making the case more mysterious as to why he spared the second woman’s life.
Why did he turn the gun on himself on the 33rd floor?
The suspected shooter first exchanged fire with a New York Police Department officer in the lobby.
Then the gunman went up to the 33rd floor, where he shot his last victim, officials said
The NYPD said they received calls from the 32nd and 33rd floors.
Workers desperately ran for their lives in suits while those trapped in Blackstone’s office built a barricade across the door with furniture.
Cops then received reports of a body found in a stairwell with a rifle with an apparently self-inflicted injury, the official told CNN.
NYPD Chief Tisch said: “He goes up to the 33rd floor… and begins to walk the floor firing rounds as he travels.
“One person was struck and killed on that floor.”
Ms Tisch said Tamura then fatally shot himself in the chest.
Was the attack targeted at the NFL because of ‘brain disease’?
The NFL occupies floors five to eight in the building.
One of the people “seriously injured” in the shooting was an NFL employee, The New York Post reports.
Tamura, who cops said had a “documented mental health history“, had a suicide note in his pocket that alleged he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to head trauma.
CTE is a condition commonly associated with football players, as repeated head injuries can cause the disease.
It has been widely reported that Tamura, back in his college days, played football – and has been described as a standout athlete.
What is CTE?
CHRONIC Traumatic Encephalopathy is known as a brain condition that is often linked to repeated head trauma.
The condition is diagnosed after death and is commonly found in pro-sports players due to concussions.
Some symptoms of CTE include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and progressive dementia.
These signs can begin to appear after years or even decades after the last brain trauma.
A CTE scan is used to diagnose the brain disease after someone has passed away as there is no test to run while someone is alive.
Doctors often slice brain tissue and use special chemicals to make the abnormal tau protein visible to examine for patterns related to CTE.
In the note, which was several pages long, Tamura blamed football for his apparent struggle with CTE, cops said.
He mentioned in the note that his brain should be studied and added: “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”
According to CNN, he wrote in it: “Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze.
“Study my brain please I’m sorry Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything.”
Terry Long, a former football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, died by suicide after drinking antifreeze in 2005.
Former classmate Caleb Clarke told NBC that Tamura hadn’t lived up to the promise he had shown.
He said about his former classmate: “The only thing I can really think of is there was a point where it looked like the sky was the limit, and then it wasn’t anymore.”
Cops are now desperately trying to piece together why he carried out the sick shooting and are yet to officially reveal the motive of the attack.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
