NYPD Officer Didarul Islam Dies in Midtown Attack

The NYPD has identified the officer killed in Monday’s mass shooting at a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper as Officer Didarul Islam, a 29-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh who served with distinction in the Midtown North Precinct.

Islam, who joined the force in December 2021, was described by colleagues as calm, deeply committed, and quietly courageous. He is survived by his wife, who is eight months pregnant, and two young sons.

Flags were lowered to half-staff at precinct houses across the city as news of his death spread.

The fatal shooting unfolded Monday evening inside a 44-story office tower that houses the NFL’s headquarters and the investment firm Blackstone. The gunman, Shane Tamura, 27, from Las Vegas, opened fire with a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 rifle, killing five people including Officer Islam, and injuring several others before dying by suicide on the 33rd floor.

Tamura, who had a valid concealed carry permit and a background as a high school football star, is believed to have acted alone. Authorities are now probing whether the NFL offices were a deliberate target, given Tamura’s athletic history and possible unresolved grievances related to his past football career. Investigators have not yet identified a clear motive.

This incident marks one of the deadliest mass shootings in New York City. Officer Islam’s death has drawn particular attention for highlighting the sacrifices of immigrant officers who serve in the city’s police force.

Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement describing Islam as an officer "protecting New Yorkers. He’s an immigrant from Bangladesh, and he loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person.”

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Islam “made the ultimate sacrifice” and “died as he lived: a hero.”

A memorial service is expected to be announced in the coming days.