Wesley LePatner, Jewish Blackstone Exec, Slain in Midtown Shooting
Wesley LePatner, a prominent Jewish executive at Blackstone and key figure in New York’s financial and Jewish communities, was among four victims killed in a deadly shooting at 345 Park Avenue. Her death has sent shockwaves through both sectors, with tributes pouring in for her leadership, philanthropy, and legacy.
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A horrific shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan yesterday claimed the lives of four people, including Wesley LePatner, a 43-year-old Jewish executive at Blackstone, the global investment giant.
LePatner was killed by Shane Devon Tamura from Las Vegas, who entered the lobby of 345 Park Avenue around 6:30 p.m. yesterday, armed with an M4 rifle. He opened fire, killing LePatner, who was taking cover behind a pillar, along with NYPD officer Didarul Islam, 36, a security guard, and one other civilian.
The company confirmed her death in a heartfelt statement: “We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue. Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond.”
LePatner was a senior managing director at Blackstone, serving as the Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and CEO of the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), a $53 billion real estate fund for wealthy investors. She joined Blackstone in 2014 after over a decade at Goldman Sachs, where she began her career in the real estate division. A Yale graduate with a degree in history, LePatner was a prominent figure in both finance and philanthropy, serving on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the UJA-Federation of New York, the Abraham Joshua Heschel School, and the Yale University Library Council.
LePatner was deeply engaged in New York’s Jewish community. She was a board member of the UJA-Federation of New York and the Heschel School. In 2023, she received the UJA’s Alan C. Greenberg Young Leadership Award for her contributions to Jewish causes. She was also an active member of Manhattan’s Altneu Synagogue, as confirmed by co-founder Avital Chizik-Goldschmidt. LePatner is survived by her husband, Evan, and their two children, with whom she lived in a $7 million Upper East Side apartment.
LePatner’s death has sent shockwaves through New York’s Jewish and financial communities. X posts highlighted her prominence as a Jewish leader and Blackstone executive, mourning her loss. Her contributions to Jewish institutions, including the Heschel School and UJA, were widely praised.
May her memory be blessing.