Shane D. Tamura has been identified as the shooter responsible for Monday’s deadly attack at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, where four people — including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam — were killed. Islam had been working private security for Rudin Management, which owns the building, at the time of the shooting.
Tamura, originally from Las Vegas, later turned the gun on himself. Authorities say he had a history of mental health struggles and lived with his parents in a gated community. As investigators search for a motive, more details about his past have come to light.
Former Classmate Recalls Tamura’s High School Days
Caleb Clarke, a former classmate and football teammate of Tamura, shared memories of the shooter’s younger years, describing him as “the biggest goofball in the world.”
“He had so much energy, always the class clown,” Clarke told NBC. The two played football together in California before Tamura transferred from a high school in Santa Clarita to Granada Hills Charter High School in 2015, just before senior year.
Clarke said he and Tamura had remained loosely in touch via social media, and that Tamura had mentioned working at a Las Vegas casino in recent years.
“You’d never associate him with violence,” Clarke said. “He was a jokester — everything he said was a joke. He had a ton of energy.”
Clarke also reflected on Tamura’s athletic potential, saying it seemed at one point like he had a future in football. “I think everyone told him how great he was, how special he was. He had that potential.”
Investigation Ongoing
The NYPD has not yet released a motive for the shooting, but authorities continue to examine Tamura’s background and mental health history. Items recovered from his vehicle are also being analyzed for additional clues.
