The gunman accused of walking into a Park Avenue skyscraper in Manhattan and killing four people suspected he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative brain disease often associated with football players.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said 27-year-old Shane Tamura was possibly targeting NFL offices located in the building where police say he shot and killed four people, critically injured another and then fatally shot himself on Monday night.
Tamura played football in high school in California. A 2014 article in the The Santa Clarita Valley Signal called him a notable running back who came “out of nowhere to become one of the most electrifying players in the league.”
Police say a three-page note found in his wallet at the scene requested that his brain be studied for CTE and blamed the NFL for concealing the dangers of football to the brain. Tamura did not play in the NFL.
What is CTE?
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that involves the buildup of abnormal tau proteins, often leading to violent mood swings, suicidal thoughts, dementia and other negative effects.
The condition is often associated with athletes in full-contact sports, particularly football, as it has been linked to frequent concussions and blows to the head.
Doctors are not yet able to diagnose the disease in living patients. But a 2017 study to examine the brains of former football players of all levels revealed that 177 out of 202 had CTE, nearly 88%.