‘He came with an assault rifle’: Witnesses recall terror as Shane Tamura opened fire in NYC building

Witnesses recalled the terrifying moment they heard gunshots ring through 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan, New York City as Shane Tamura opened fire.

Published on: Jul 29, 2025, 07:41:13 IST

By Sanya Jain

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At least four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer, were killed in a shooting at a midtown Manhattan office building on Monday. The suspect was identified as Shane Tamura, of Nevada, two people briefed on the investigation told the AP. Sources said he fatally shot himself.

An FDNY emergency vehicle departs the scene of a reported shooter situation in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Bing Guan (REUTERS)

Tamura exchanged fire with an NYPD officer in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, before walking up to the 33rd floor of the building. Witnesses recalled the terrifying moment they heard gunshots ring through the building, which houses the headquarters of Blackstone and the National Football League.

“I texted my parents”

Jessica Chen was on the second floor of the building, watching a presentation with her colleagues, when she heard gunshots go off. “We heard multiple shots go off in quick succession from the first floor, and a lot of us just rushed into the room,” Chen told ABC News.

“Some went out the back door, out onto the street. Other people, including me, we ran into the conference room and then eventually barricaded the tables across the doors and just stayed still,” she recalled.

“I texted my parents I love them,” she added. “Nothing can describe that feeling.”

“He came with an assault rifle”

Another person was in the lobby of the building when Shane Tamura walked in and started firing. He was left panicking and gasping for breath.

“I was at work, and this guy came in with an assault rifle and started shooting. I was in the lobby at work,” the man said, according to a New York Post report.

Nekeisha Lewis was eating dinner at a plaza near 345 Park Avenue when she heard the shots ring through the air and saw glass shattering. She compared the scene to a “war zone” and called it the scariest situation she has ever been in, according to NBC News.

(Also read: Zohran Mamdani reacts to horrific Midtown shooting that reportedly killed 4, including an NYPD officer)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain
Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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