A 27-year-old former high school football player, Shane Tamura, who tragically killed four individuals inside a Manhattan office building hosting the NFL headquarters, was confirmed to have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) by New York City’s medical examiner. Tamura, a casino worker from Las Vegas, fatally shot himself after opening fire in the office tower on July 28, claiming the lives of four victims, including a police officer, a security guard, and two office workers.
Before the incident, Tamura had allegedly intended to target the NFL office but mistakenly entered the wrong elevator. In a note discovered in his wallet, Tamura mentioned his CTE diagnosis, a condition only detectable postmortem, and urged further examination of his brain.
The NFL, accused by Tamura of prioritizing profits over player safety by concealing the risks of CTE and football-related injuries, responded by denouncing the violent acts and acknowledging the ongoing scientific research on CTE. This brain disease impacts brain regions associated with emotional and behavioral regulation, commonly linked to head traumas in contact sports like football.
Despite the NFL’s previous denial, it acknowledged the football-CTE connection in 2016 congressional testimony and has compensated retired players over $1.4 billion US for concussion-related claims. Although Tamura participated in high school football in California, he never played professionally in the NFL. Authorities revealed Tamura’s history of mental health issues, including a prior arrest in 2023 for trespassing in Las Vegas, a case later dismissed by prosecutors.