There was a heart-wrenching shooting in an office building in midtown Manhattan on Monday night (U.S. local time), claiming the lives of at least four people, including one off-duty NYPD police officer.
The authorities have named the gunman as Shane Tamura, who resides in Nevada, based on information provided by sources who are familiar with the investigation and who were spoken to by the Associated Press. Tamura himself was subsequently shot and fatally injured by responding police officers.
Furniture Used as Shield
The office building, one block north of Grand Central Terminal and a block from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, is home to many of the country’s leading financial firms, including private equity behemoth Blackstone, the offices of the National Football League and the Consulate General of Ireland.
As events developed, Blackstone office employees rushed for cover. One of the images that went around on X (formerly Twitter) depicted employees barricading themselves with sofas and pieces of furniture to seal off a window or hallway. One could see several people crouched and hiding behind the barricade.
Take a Look:
This is how the employees in the Blackstone building barricaded themselves inside their offices while the shooter was active. pic.twitter.com/M7pMyWP9zJ
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) July 29, 2025
Eyewitness Accounts
Panic was rapidly spreading in surrounding buildings. Some finance experts who had been out to pick up dinner at a nearby outlet reported people running away from the area and a sound of a loud explosion.
Scenes of people being escorted out of the building with their hands over their heads, as is a normal police procedure in active shooter situations, were caught on local television broadcasts.
City Response and Disruptions
New York City’s emergency alert system issued traffic congestion, road closure, and disruption to public transport services warnings in the midtown area after the incident.
The investigation continues as authorities try to establish the reason for the shooting and how it happened in such a highly secured commercial area.
