E-Paper
Manhattan shooter Shane Tamura was ‘biggest goofball’, says former classmate
A former classmate of Manhattan shooter Shane Tamura has described him as the “biggest goofball” and a person who had a lot of potential.
A former classmate of Manhattan shooter Shane Tamura has described him as the “biggest goofball” and a person who had a lot of potential. Tamura, 27, opened fire today inside 345 Park Avenue – a Midtown highrise that houses the offices of Blackstone, KPMG, and NFL, among others. At least four people, including an off-duty NYPD police officer, were killed in the shooting.
Tamura, a Las Vegas native, was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed in a news conference.
CNN, citing law enforcement, said that Tamura had been a football player in his youth. He moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles. This account was corroborated by his former classmate Caleb Clarke in an interview with NBC News.
Shane Tamura: The biggest goofball
Clarke said that Tamura transferred from a school in Santa Clarita, California, to Grenada Hills High School in Los Angeles, right before their senior year in 2015. He described the Manhattan shooter as the “class clown”.
“He was the biggest goofball in the world, just a ton of energy, class clown," Clarke said. "Just one of those guys, he’s got so much going for him. Just figure out the whole school thing, and he could be somebody great.”
Also read: ‘He came with an assault rifle’: Witnesses recall terror as Shane Tamura opened fire in NYC building
Clarke said he lost touch with Tamura after high school. However, the two recently connected through social media and Clarke learned that Tamura was working at a casino in Las Vegas. He expressed surprise at the act of violence committed by the 27-year-old.
“You never would have thought violence was something you’d associate with him," Clarke said. "Everything he said was a joke."
Clarke also praised his football skills, saying that Tamura could have joined the NFL as a pro.
“I don’t think he walked around to be like, ‘Oh, I’ll have NFL games one day,'" he said. "I think it was more of everybody just telling him how great he was. He was the fastest kid I’d ever met, full hands-down. And then, after high school, you know, didn’t see from him that much and didn’t hear from him that much, because he wasn’t on the field."
