How Shane Tamura got gun license, where was building security? Questions linger after NYC shooting

Shane Tamura shot and killed four people, including NYPD officer Didarul Islam, before turning the gun on himself.

Shane Tamura has been identified as the gunman in the Manhattan shooting attack that left four, including NYPD officer Didarul Islam, dead. Tamura killed himself on the 33rd floor of the building at 345 Park Avenue.

The building at 345 Park Ave. in New York, US, where Shane Tamura shot and killed four people. (Bloomberg)

Details about Tamura have begun to emerge, including the fact that he played football back in school, and lives with his parents in Las Vegas. However, as authorities search for a motive behind the killings, a number of questions linger.

How did Shane Tamura get a gun and conceal carry permit?

Tamura reportedly carried out the shooting using a Pametto State Armory AR-15 assault rifle with .223 caliber bullets. He also had a concealed carry permit for the gun, which remains valid, it was reported.

However, during the press conference after the shooting, with New York Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD commissioner Jessica S Tisch present, it was announced that Tamura had a ‘documented mental health history'.

This has raised questions about how he was able to procure a gun, a conceal carry permit, and drive with it from Las Vegas to New York, all without a single red flag going up.

“Shane Tamura, police said, had a history of mental health issues. How did he acquire firearms as well as a CWP?,” a person asked on X.

Another remarked, “If he had a history of mental illness, he should’ve never got a permit to conceal carry. Do better Nevada.”

“If Shane Tamura had medication linked to mental illness and a known history, how was he able to legally possess an M4 and drive it across the country unchecked? Transparency is crucial, the type of medication matters, not to stigmatize but to expose how badly the system failed. This wasn’t random. It was preventable,” a third user commented, responding to the fact that medication in Tamura's name had been reportedly found in his vehicle.

Notably, the Las Vegas police state that one is ineligible for a concealed carry weapon (CCW) if “You have been judicially declared mentally incompetent or insane” and if “You have been admitted to a mental health facility within the last 5 years.” These are among the many conditions listed out for not getting a CCW. However, it remains unclear as to when Tamura acquired the gun and when his mental health diagnoses took place.

Where was building security?

Another question that has been plaguing many is where was the rest of the security. As per all accounts, Tamura entered the building and shot a cop in the lobby itself. Then, he went on a rampage and made his way to the 33rd floor.

One individual has questioned where the rest of the security was, as a building in midtown Manhattan – one where offices of companies and organizations such as NFL, Blackstone and KPMG are located – would likely have a certain amount of security.

The individual also questioned whether Tamura had a keycard.

Notably, Rudin which owns the building where the attack occurred lists that it has ‘Destination dispatch elevators’. These elevators require the destination to be input at a lobby keypad or touchscreen, before the individual is directed to the elevator most efficiently suited to take them to where they want to go. It is meant to optimize traffic flow in multi-elevator buildings.

Authorities have reported that Tamura shot people in the lobby, and would have accessed the elevators after. HT.com could not find any information of the building elevator needing a keycard to access any specific floor.