Trump says New York shooting suspect was a 'crazed lunatic'

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said a mass shooting that killed four people in New York was carried out by a "lunatic."

According to police, the suspect, who shot dead four people before taking his own life, had a "documented mental health history."

And Trump was keen to focus on that angle, as he posted on social media: "I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence."

Trump said that he had been briefed on late Monday's incident that occurred in a Manhattan skyscraper.

One of those killed was an off-duty police officer. Another person was seriously injured and in a critical condition.

The US president did not mention gun laws in the United States, preferring to focus on the alleged gunman's condition. But New York Mayor Eric Adams did hone in on "how easy it is to gain access to a gun."

"Gun violence has scarred so many neighbors and ripped apart too many families across this entire country," Adams said during a press briefing.

The police officer who was killed in the incident was off-duty at the timeImage: Jeenah Moon/REUTERS

Do we know what the shooter's motive was?

The shooter was identified by police as 27-year-old Shane T. from Las Vegas, a once-promising American football player, who was reportedly carrying a note that referred to CTE — a form of brain damage from contact sports.

The attack took place at the tower housing the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL). Mayor Adams suggested the gunman was targeting the NFL for long-held grievances related to his condition.

"He seemed to have blamed the NFL," the mayor said in an interview with New York City station WPIX-TV. "The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank."

What do we know about the police officer who was killed in the shooting?

The NYPD officer killed in the shooting was identified as Didarul Islam, who was born in Bangladesh.

"He died as he lived. A hero," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, before adding he was married with two young boys, and his wife is pregnant with their third child.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery 

*Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.