Shane Tamura, the 27-year-old who died by suicide after shooting four people at a Manhattan office building last month, had a history of mental health issues, concussion-related symptoms, and run-ins with the police, according to a new batch of documents released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The documents pertained to four separate incidents that occurred between 2022 and 2024. In a statement, the LVMPD said their records showed Tamura “was the subject of two mental health crisis interventions” in 2022 and 2024; he was also arrested for trespassing at a casino in 2023 and cited for a traffic violation in 2024. Included in the records dump are police reports, police body camera footage, and audio of 911 calls.
The oldest incident occurred in September 2022, when Tamura’s mother called 911 and told the police her son was contemplating suicide. Tamura’s mother made the call from her car outside a motel, which she fled to after Tamura “just started crying and, like, slamming things.”
During the call, Tamura’s mother mentioned various mental and physical health issues her son had been dealing with, saying he was “under doctor’s care for depression, concussion — like sports concussions — chronic migraines, and insomnia.” After the incident, Tamura was committed to a mental health facility.
In a note found in Tamura’s pocket after the shooting, he claimed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), possibly related to his time playing high school football. The note referenced a 2013 Frontline documentary about CTE, criticized the NFL for its handling of the head trauma issue, and referenced former NFL players who suffered from the disease. He also wrote, “Study my brain please. I’m sorry.”
Notably, the NFL headquarters were located in the building that Tamura entered, suggesting the gunman may have been trying to target people who worked for the league. However, the elevator he entered did not go to the floor where the NFL’s offices were.
In August 2024, Tamura’s mother again called the LVMPD after her son expressed suicidal ideation. Police records indicated that Tamura’s mother said her son had also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, as well as depression and anxiety.
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When police arrived at Tamura’s apartment, they found him cooperating with medical responders. Tamura informed the police he had a backpack with a gun in it, with the police telling him, “Don’t touch it, don’t go near it.” Again, Tamura was taken to a mental health facility for treatment.
Despite two stays in mental health facilities, it’s unclear if these visits would have shown up during gun purchasing background checks, especially because Tamura had a license to carry a concealed weapon in Nevada. Of his mental health facility stays, a former associate deputy director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives told CNN that if Tamura was released after a 48-hour hold, that “would not affect [his] ability to possess firearms under federal law.”
(Tamura, however, did not buy the gun used in the Manhattan shooting himself. It was purchased by his supervisor at the Las Vegas casino where he worked. The supervisor assembled the gun and then sold it to Tamura. The supervisor is cooperating with authorities and has claimed he sold the gun to Tamura in compliance with federal law.)
As for the other two incidents, Tamura was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing after he refused to show ID while trying to exchange chips for cash at a casino. Security officials described Tamura as an “irate guest,” who appeared to be “on something.” Tamura also called the cops himself, accusing the casino of stealing money from him. Despite the arrest, it appears that a full case was never brought against Tamura.
Lastly, in May 2024, Tamura was pulled over for driving a car with no license plate. After being pulled over, police discovered Tamura’s driver’s license had been suspended because of previous traffic violations. His car’s registration had also just expired. He was issued a citation.
From Rolling Stone US
