Old video sparks theories Manhattan shooter Shane Tamura may have targeted NFL office in Midtown building

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NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The shooter behind the bloody rampage at a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper on Monday, July 28, may have been aiming for the National Football League office, some netizens think.

Shane Tamura, the 27-year-old gunman who opened fire at 345 Park Avenue — home to Wall Street titan Blackstone Inc and NFL headquarters — killed at least four people (including NYPD officer Didarul Islam) before turning the weapon on himself. Now, a nine-year-old high school football interview has resurfaced, sparking fresh speculation about his motive. 

Tamura was found dead on the 33rd floor of the tower, which is occupied by Rudin Management. Workers on the 32nd floor, which houses financial firm Blackstone Inc, fearing for their lives, reportedly shoved furniture against doors to barricade themselves inside as the chaos unfolded.

Shane Tamura's football past comes back into play

The resurfaced video in question is a grainy high school post-game interview. The teen in the clip looks a lot like a younger Tamura, back when he was possibly a star running back and defensive back for Granada Hills Charter High School in California.

Originally recorded in 2015, the clip shows Tamura giving the breakdown of a big rivalry win.

“We definitely had to stay disciplined,” Tamura said after a 35-31 victory against Kennedy High. “We were down 10-0, and our coach kept saying don't hold your head down. Don’t hold it down. Just have stay disciplined and come together as a team.”

The interviewer asks, “Shane, couple of touchdowns for you, including a huge one late in the game there… That put you guys up 34-24… Take us through that play right there.”

Tamura responded, “Our coach basically asked me, he was like Shane, is the T-screen open? So we just threw the pass to him.”

Internet tries to connect the dots 

Now, armchair detectives on social media are speculating about various theories.

“New York City shooter Shane Tamura was once a high school football star, winning six awards and later playing in Canada. The building he targeted today housed NFL headquarters,” one user posted to X (formerly Twitter).

“Definitely appears to be this same Shane Tamura involved in NYC shooting. NFL headquarters were located at that building and could be a possible motive. Tamura was a stand out RB that graduated in 2016,” another added. 

“So the NFL told him he wasn’t good enough,” a tweet read. “Broken dreams. Sad. So he killed a bunch of innocent people,” someone else assumed.

“Interesting theory. He played for peanuts in the @CFL while his buddies made the real cheddar in the @NFL. He wanted that but they wouldn’t give it to him," another speculated.

Still, police haven’t pinned down an official motive, and there's no direct link between Tamura’s playing days and the NFL offices in the building he attacked.

"His motives are still under investigation, and we are working to understand why he targeted this particular location," New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Manhattan shooter Shane Tamura's final note

However, the plot thickens.

According to law enforcement sources who spoke to the New York Post, Tamura left behind a multi-page suicide note that may offer insight into his frame of mind.

In the note, Tamura reportedly blamed football for the toll it took on his brain, saying he believed he had developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain disease that’s been linked to repeated concussions in athletes.

Tamura fatally shot himself in the chest. Sources said that in the note, he also asked that his brain be studied.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.