Shooter’s Mother Called for Help Years Before NYC Massacre - “He Said He’d Kill Himself”
Shane Tamura’s mother alerted authorities in 2022 about his suicidal thoughts and concussion-related issues, years before he killed four in a Manhattan shooting targeting the NFL. Las Vegas police records reveal his mental health struggles and prior run-ins, highlighting missed opportunities to intervene.
Las Vegas police released records shedding light on the troubled history of Shane Tamura, 27, who killed four people in a Manhattan office tower housing NFL headquarters before taking his own life. The documents, disclosed due to the case’s “extraordinary circumstances,” include a 2022 911 call from Tamura’s mother, who reported his suicidal threats and health issues. “He said he’s going to kill himself,” she told dispatchers on September 12, 2022, outside a Budget Suites Motel. “He didn’t say he made a plan, he just said he can’t take it anymore.” She described Tamura’s struggles with “depression, concussion like sports concussion, chronic migraines, and insomnia,” noting he was under medical care, using sleeping pills, smoking marijuana, and carrying a gun in his backpack. “He just started crying and slamming things and said I’m making him worse, so I said, ‘I’ll step outside,’” she added. “I don’t want you to be upset, but I’m afraid to leave.”
Tamura, who played high school football in Southern California, carried a note claiming he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), accusing the NFL of concealing brain injury risks. His attack on August 4 saw him fatally shoot three in the lobby and one on the 33rd floor. He had worked in surveillance at Horseshoe Las Vegas until days before driving to New York, purchasing a rifle and car from his supervisor. Police found a tripod, revolver box, and ammunition in his casino locker, plus psychiatric and epilepsy medications in his apartment.
Tamura’s mental health crises led to hospitalizations in 2022 and 2024, with a 2024 bodycam capturing renewed suicidal statements. Las Vegas police also noted a 2023 trespassing arrest at a casino and a 2024 citation for driving an unregistered car. A new Nevada law, effective August 2025, allows firearm seizure during mental health holds, though Tamura’s history didn’t bar his legal gun purchase. Social media on X expressed shock, with one user stating, “His mother warned years ago, how did this slip through?”