NYC NFL Office Shooter Kills 4 Cites CTE in Note

Shane Devon Tamura, a former high school football standout, carried out a deadly shooting at the National Football League's Manhattan headquarters, killing four people including an off-duty police officer before fatally shooting himself. Tamura left a three-page suicide note referencing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma, and expressed grievances against the NFL, mentioning former player Terry Long who died by suicide after suffering from CTE. Experts, including Dr. Christopher Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, note the difficulty in definitively linking CTE to violent actions without post-mortem diagnosis, and caution about the complexity of brain injuries and their behavioral impacts. The shooting has intensified discussions about CTE’s role in neurological and mental health issues among athletes, especially football players, with Tamura’s note pleading for his brain to be studied. The NFL has acknowledged the link between football and CTE and has implemented policies to reduce brain injury risks, yet the disease remains a life-and-death concern given cases like Tamura’s and other former players who committed violence or suicide. Investigations continue as authorities explore Tamura’s mental health history and the motives behind the attack.