A man raises a flag in front of the building where a shooting occurred in New York. Yonhap News.  

A 20-something man went on a shooting spree in a high-rise building in Midtown Manhattan, New York, on the evening of the 28th (local time), killing four people, including police officers and a Blackstone executive, according to Reuters and other news agencies.

The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. in a 44-story building at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan, which houses major financial institutions and key facilities such as world's largest private equity firm Blackstone, KPMG, Deutsche Bank, the National Football League (NFL) headquarters, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York.

During a press briefing after the incident, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the suspect as Shane Tamura, 27, a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, and stated that the shooting was believed to be a lone wolf attack.

The suspect emerged from a BMW parked near the building, carrying an M4 rifle, and immediately opened fire on NYPD officer Dyutail Islam upon entering the building's lobby.

Islam was an immigrant from Bangladesh participating in the NYPD's commercial security patrol program at the time.

The suspect then continued his shooting spree, firing at a woman attempting to hide and a security guard behind the reception desk.

Tisch stated that the suspect then took an elevator from the lobby to a real estate company on the 33rd floor of the building, shot one more person, and then took his own life.

Besides Islam, the other three victims were two men and one woman. The New York Police Department has not released their identities. One person was injured and is in critical condition.

However, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources, reported that a Blackstone executive was among the fatalities, having been shot and killed in the lobby.

Another source said that other Blackstone employees were also injured and receiving medical treatment.

An NFL employee is also reported to be among the injured.

The suspect had traveled through Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa since the 26th, arriving in New York City on the afternoon of the incident.

Commissioner Tisch stated that the motive for the crime is under investigation and that the suspect had a history of mental illness.

Police discovered a rifle case containing ammunition, a loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines, and prescription medication in Tamura's car.

Court documents indicate that Tamura was previously charged with misdemeanor trespassing in Nevada in 2023 and had previously held a private investigator's license.

The shooting spree, which occurred during rush hour in a busy commercial district of Manhattan, caused chaos inside the building and in the surrounding area.

A shooting incident occurred in a high-rise building in Midtown Manhattan, New York, on the 28th (local time). An ambulance is seen in front of the 345 Park Avenue building where the incident took place. Yonhap News

At the time, Blackstone employees shared messages via email and Microsoft Teams messenger that there was a shooter in the lobby and warned each other not to go downstairs, according to one employee.

Some reportedly barricaded themselves in offices and restrooms.

Jessica Chen, who was watching a presentation with dozens of people on the second floor of the building, recounted running into a conference room and pulling a table to block the door to prevent the suspect from entering.

Chen told ABC News, "I heard consecutive gunshots from the first floor. Honestly, I was so, so scared," and mentioned sending a text message to her parents saying, "I love you."

Several social media platforms showed numerous videos of citizens fleeing the building or being guided by police officers with their hands up near the building.

Russ McGee, who was working out at a nearby gym, told Reuters, "I saw a lot of police and people were screaming."

Kyle Marshall, who works at Morgan Stanley in an adjacent building, said police prevented people from moving until 8 p.m.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned residents of New York to avoid the area where the incident occurred after receiving a briefing on the event.

In early December last year, Brian Thompson, the CEO of the U.S. health insurance company UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in an incident near the location of this latest event.

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