NYC gunman sought medical help before shooting

LAS VEGAS -- The gunman who killed 4 people earlier taking his ain beingness successful a midtown Manhattan bureau gathering that houses the NFL's office had for years sought aesculapian assistance for frequent, debilitating headaches -- including receiving injections successful the backmost of his head, a idiosyncratic adjacent to the man's household told ESPN.

Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old Las Vegas casino worker, had regularly met with doctors -- including a neurologist -- and received yearly MRI exams and assorted treatments seeking to diagnose the origin and halt the pain, said the root who spoke connected the information of anonymity.

Tamura began having headaches portion helium was playing precocious schoolhouse shot successful Southern California, the root said, and they continued into adulthood. Tamura took acetaminophen oregon ibuprofen, the root said, but soon aft moving to Las Vegas successful 2019 searched for much help. Doctors prescribed assorted medications for Tamura to effort to find groupings that could connection relief, the root said.

"As it got worse and worse," the root said, "it was like, 'OK, I person to get doctors' assistance now.'"

Four people, including an off-duty New York City constabulary officer, were killed successful the shooting, and an NFL worker was earnestly injured. The root adjacent to the household told ESPN that Tamura's contiguous household is grieving "especially for the guiltless lives that are lost."

In the week aft the shooting, portion funerals were being held successful New York for victims, and instrumentality enforcement authorities successful Las Vegas were executing hunt warrants, details emerged astir Tamura -- his years playing shot astatine 2 Los Angeles-area precocious schools, his past with intelligence health, his clip with a backstage information firm, moving a surveillance occupation successful a Las Vegas casino and a run-in with a antithetic casino's information erstwhile helium refused to permission portion trying to cod winnings.

Tamura began playing tackle shot astatine property 6 and continued done precocious school. Friends who knew him a decennary agone erstwhile helium was a fashionable moving backmost with prima imaginable told ESPN they had mislaid interaction and wondered what helium did aft moving away. Because of his size -- helium was listed successful precocious schoolhouse astatine 5-foot-7, 140 pounds -- the root adjacent to the household said, helium didn't ponder ambitions of playing successful the NFL.

Investigators said they believed Tamura was trying to scope the office of the NFL but took the incorrect elevator. A enactment recovered by constabulary successful Tamura's wallet suggested helium had a grievance against the NFL implicit a assertion that helium had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In the note, helium repeatedly said helium was atrocious and asked that his encephalon beryllium studied for CTE, according to authorities and photos of the note.

The root told ESPN that during the clip Tamura lived successful Nevada, helium had been treated for slump and doubly been held involuntarily for intelligence wellness reasons. In Nevada, a idiosyncratic experiencing a intelligence wellness situation tin beryllium held and evaluated astatine a infirmary oregon situation halfway for up to 72 hours if they are apt to beryllium a information to themselves oregon others.

The root didn't retrieve Tamura expressing choler toward the NFL but recalled however Tamura would speech astir younger players needing amended instrumentality and much safety. At slightest once, the root said, Tamura said that helium believed helium had CTE but besides knew that it could beryllium diagnosed lone posthumously.

Brain experts who spoke with ESPN person cautioned against drafting nonstop connections betwixt the shooting and the disease. CTE is simply a degenerative encephalon illness that tin beryllium diagnosed lone aft idiosyncratic has died. It has been linked to concussions and different repeated caput trauma communal successful interaction sports specified arsenic football. The experts told ESPN it could instrumentality weeks to larn whether Tamura had CTE.

The root adjacent to the household told ESPN that Tamura would sometimes spell to enactment connected an overnight displacement successful surveillance astatine the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel successful Las Vegas and instrumentality location to sleep, placing an icepack connected his forehead due to the fact that of headaches. The injections successful his caput astatine times reduced the pain, the root said, but it persisted. Doctors sometimes dainty terrible headaches with nervus blocks, injecting steroids and symptom medicine adjacent the basal of the skull. The root said the anticipation was that aesculapian probe connected Tamura's encephalon would amusement what helium suffered from and assistance to find answers.

The play earlier the shooting, authorities person said, Tamura drove from Las Vegas to New York, arriving connected July 28. He double-parked a BMW extracurricular 345 Park Avenue and, astir 6:30 p.m. ET, walked crossed the building's introduction plaza with an assault-style rifle. It was conscionable past highest unreserved hr successful 1 of the busiest areas of America's largest city.

Once successful the lobby of the 44-story skyscraper, Tamura changeable Didarul Islam -- the off-duty constabulary serviceman -- and a pistillate fleeing for cover. He changeable a 2nd information defender and different antheral successful the lobby earlier taking the elevator. Investigators said they believed helium was trying to scope the NFL offices connected the 5th done eighth floors, but helium arrived connected the 33rd floor, wherever helium changeable a pistillate earlier shooting himself successful the thorax with the rifle.

The concern steadfast Blackstone confirmed that 1 of its employees, existent property enforcement Wesley LePatner, was among those killed. Julia Hyman, who worked arsenic an subordinate astatine Rudin Management, and information serviceman Aland Etienne besides were killed, according to the City of New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

In a memo sent to NFL employees Tuesday, commissioner Roger Goodell said "our thoughts and prayers stay particularly with our colleague." He aboriginal called the shooting "an onslaught connected humanity."

Elijah McCormick, who described Tamura arsenic a puerility champion friend, said helium wished helium would person been capable to talk with Tamura "before helium did anything." The 2 met erstwhile they were 8 years aged and played shot astatine Golden Valley High School successful Santa Clarita, California. They hadn't spoken since. "Just would person told him to archer maine what's connected his mind," McCormick said. "Hopefully, I could fig retired the s--- unneurotic with him."

Five erstwhile shot teammates who spoke with ESPN each played unneurotic astatine Golden Valley and were affable disconnected the tract portion increasing up successful the Santa Clarita Valley, astir 30 miles northbound of downtown Los Angeles.

One erstwhile Golden Valley teammate described Tamura arsenic a "goofball," and different remembered his rumbling staccato laughter and the mode helium would dash distant aft a good-natured prank.

Tamura and his parents, Terence and Michelle, and his older brother, Terry, lived successful Canyon Country, a vicinity connected the eastbound borderline of the metropolis of Santa Clarita. His begetter was an serviceman successful the Los Angeles Police Department -- helium retired successful bully lasting connected Aug. 5, 2017, according to a section spokesperson -- and his member besides played football. There was nary reply Thursday erstwhile a newsman knocked connected the doorway astatine the location of Tamura's parents successful Las Vegas.

Tamura took up sports successful people school. McCormick recalled days playing shot and successful a question hoops league. Later, Tamura was a sprinter for the way squad and loved boxing.

"He was a precise sport-oriented benignant of guy," erstwhile teammate Duke Castillo said.

At Golden Valley, Tamura was known for his speed. "This dude ran similar a 4.4," Castillo said. By his inferior year, Tamura made varsity and rushed for 774 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a 140-pound blur successful the unfastened field. Golden Valley won 3 games.

Among his erstwhile Golden Valley teammates, 1 said Tamura did instrumentality "a batch of caput shots" due to the fact that of his stature and playing moving back. Another remembered him getting tackled astatine the enactment of scrimmage by players who outweighed him by 60-plus pounds. Only 1 recalled him sitting retired due to the fact that of injury. And that was for a breached arm.

"I don't adjacent retrieve him having immoderate concussions oregon concussion-related injuries during our clip unneurotic that had him out," Castillo said.

Tamura transferred to Granada Hills Charter School for his elder play and rushed for 616 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tamura yet received his GED successful California, the root adjacent to the household said, and ne'er played successful college.

Other than a video interrogation pursuing a Granada Hills shot game, Julian Torres, 1 of Tamura's teammates astatine Golden Valley, said the adjacent helium heard astir Tamura was years later.

"A fewer weeks agone erstwhile our person had gone to Vegas," Torres said. "And they conscionable happened to spot him moving at, I guess, 1 of the casinos."

In Nevada, Tamura appeared to enactment mostly successful information and surveillance. Records provided by the Nevada Private Investigators Licensing Board amusement Tamura applied for a license, which was provisionally issued connected Dec. 28, 2019, and worked for Securitas USA from February 2020 until December 2021. Registered arsenic "unarmed," the licence expired Dec. 28, 2024.

Tamura worked for Securitas astatine the Lake Las Vegas edifice successful March 2020, erstwhile the Henderson (Nevada) Police Department listed him arsenic a witness, assisting officers erstwhile 2 radical were arrested for trespassing.

Months later, Tamura worked the overnight displacement for Securitas successful the Lake Las Vegas country erstwhile helium told constabulary helium observed 75 gallons of substance being stolen and alerted constabulary -- including logging the licence sheet of the conveyance stealing the fuel, according to constabulary records.

Wednesday, astatine the Securitas bureau successful Henderson, an worker declined to remark astir Tamura. There was nary reply to an email from ESPN detailing questions astir Tamura's employment there.

Early connected the greeting of Sept. 27, 2023, Tamura was gambling wrong the red-carpet-shaded casino astatine the Red Rock Resort erstwhile information approached to spot his identification. Tamura refused, which led information to inquire him to leave.

Tamura tried to cod his winnings -- astir $5,000 -- astatine 1 of the 9 cashier clerk stations. Casinos typically inquire to spot ID with larger payments. Tamura refused, according to a constabulary report. Security past asked constabulary to get involved.

Las Vegas constabulary determined Tamura was "agitated," according to the report, and that helium "reached out" toward a information guard. Police forced Tamura toward a wall. When helium didn't cooperate, helium was handcuffed and placed successful a holding cell, wherever helium refused to springiness his sanction and birthday.

Threatened with arrest, Tamura yet did and was escorted retired of the casino and told helium was trespassing. Tamura was taken retired of handcuffs and told helium could leave. Instead, the study said, helium threw his ID connected a patrol car hood and leaned connected it, refusing to permission and asking astir his money.

He continued to stay connected Red Rock spot and was arrested for "Trespass After Verbal Warning," according to records. Two months later, prosecutors decided to not complaint him, and the root adjacent to the household said Tamura yet received his money. A Red Rock spokesperson declined to comment.

According to the root adjacent to the family, astir 2 years ago, Tamura landed a surveillance occupation astatine the Las Vegas Strip's Horseshoe Casino, which features aggregate pits of array games astatine the casino's halfway successful beforehand of the cashier's presumption and a World Series of Poker Hall of Fame room.

One Nevada casino surveillance employee, who did not enactment with Tamura astatine the Horseshoe oregon different cognize him, said casino surveillance enactment tin beryllium isolating. Employees are successful galore ways abstracted from the remainder of the casino. Since they are tasked with rooting retired cheating, they usually enactment successful rooms distant from some the casino's patrons and its employees. They're not allowed to stock meals with chap employees for fearfulness of fraternization.

"You can't beryllium seen, you can't beryllium heard, you can't interact with others," the worker said. "If they're doing immoderate benignant of giveaway oregon contest, you can't enactment successful it. So it does have, I would say, a antagonistic effect connected a person's intelligence health."

The root adjacent to the household said that Rick Ackley, a longtime surveillance idiosyncratic successful Las Vegas, hired Tamura and was his supervisor.

Tamura often worked the overnight shift, the root said, and precocious had mentioned applying for an earlier displacement -- for amended hours, a measurement up successful his vocation and perchance a mode to amended grip the headaches. He occupied locker drawer No. 11 astatine the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, adjacent doorway to the Horseshoe, some hotels owned by Caesars Entertainment.

When instrumentality enforcement searched his locker 2 days aft the shooting, they took thing from it, according to the hunt warrant.

Ackley's lawyer told ESPN that connected Oct. 2, 2024, his lawsuit sold Tamura the gun utilized successful the shooting, portion "lawfully complying with Nevada and Federal weapon laws," and that Ackley sold Tamura the BMW helium drove, opening connected July 26, from Las Vegas to New York.

Horseshoe Casino employees directed questions to the casino's genitor company, Caesars Entertainment. Messages to Caesars went unreturned, but a institution spokesperson told ABC News connected Tuesday that Tamura was an worker there.

La Jolla Classics is typically a quiet, unassuming subdivision conscionable extracurricular Las Vegas. Tamura's parents moved determination from California successful 2021. Shane Tamura had not lived successful the vicinity with his parents, the root said. Instead, helium lived successful aggregate places astir Las Vegas earlier settling into Paradise Royale, an flat analyzable blocks disconnected the Strip. Law enforcement spoke with Tamura's household astatine their location pursuing the shooting, the root said, but ne'er executed a warrant oregon searched the household home. On Friday, Nevada courts unsealed 2 hunt warrants -- for the Paris locker and Paradise apartment.

Investigators person said Tamura near 2 notes -- 1 astatine the shooting country successful New York and different successful different Las Vegas flat wherever helium lived. He apologized aggregate times -- to his parents, to "Rick," and wrote "study my encephalon delight I'm sorry."

One erstwhile teammate work reports astir Tamura's notes, which helium said reminded him of the person helium erstwhile knew but with whom helium had mislaid touch.

"The mode it was written benignant of work successful his dependable successful my head, which made maine truly sad," ex-teammate Tobenna Okunna said. "I conscionable retrieve successful his code pattern, helium would accidental atrocious a batch astatine the extremity of sentences."

After the deadliest wide shooting successful New York City since 2000, KPMG, Blackstone and the NFL each closed their offices Tuesday. In a memo to employees, the NFL told those based successful New York to program to enactment remotely astatine slightest until Friday, and to not effort to participate the building, arsenic the bureau volition stay closed during this time. The NFL memo besides urged staffers to beryllium determination for each different and to question further enactment if needed.