A security camera at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan reportedly flagged the suspected gunman as a potential threat just moments before he opened fire in the building’s lobby on Monday. Four people were killed in the New York City shooting before the attacker took his own life.
CCTV footage reviewed by Reuters shows the suspect, 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, holding an assault-style rifle. The image, timestamped at 6:26:52 PM ET, just over a minute before the first 911 call, shows Tamura outlined by a bright yellow box.
How AI spotted NYC shooter moments before he opened fire
According to two former federal officials cited by the news agency, the box was generated by an AI-based threat detection system designed to identify immediate dangers and alert building security, news agency Reuters has now reported.
The system's role in the incident, not previously disclosed, raises questions about whether more could have been done to prevent the attack, the officials said.
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{{/usCountry}}Rudin Management, which owns the building, declined to comment on whether the alert prompted any action from security personnel.
The suspect, identified as Tamura had a documented history of mental illness. His victims included two security officers, one of whom was a police officer on a paid detail, a Rudin employee, and an executive from an investment firm.
Questions on preparedness and response time
Sources told Reuters the yellow box in the footage was designed to alert guards at the security desk at the building’s front entrance.
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Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International and a former anti-terrorism adviser to the Georgia Department of Homeland Security, emphasized that while AI video systems can flag threats, “You can’t automate this away.”
He said timely human response and communication with building occupants remain essential.
Security experts noted that some modern systems allow for remote lockdowns of doors and elevators. However, preventing a determined intruder from entering remains a significant challenge.
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“The only way to have avoided this was to keep the shooter outside, which is very difficult,” said Glen Kucera, president of Allied Universal, a global security firm. He noted that Tamura’s intent to kill and die made him “the most difficult kind of threat to stop.”
(With Reuters inputs)