CTE & Mental Illness Concerns Arise After Mass Shooting

The tragic mass shooting in Manhattan on Monday (July 28) evening has reignited national concerns about the mental health crisis and its ties to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The shooter was 27-year-old Shane Tamura, who opened fire in a building housing the NFL’s headquarters before fatally turning the gun on himself. Read more details about this story and how CTE and mental illness concerns arise amidst the mass shooting.

CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma. Tamura allegedly drove from Las Vegas across the country and opened fire inside 345 Park Ave., which is the building that houses the NFL’s headquarters. He tragically killed four people, including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam and Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, before fatally turning the gun on himself. It’s one of the city’s deadliest shootings in over 20 years.

Tamura, who played high school football, left a chilling three-page note referencing CTE and asking for his brain to be studied postmortem.

“You can’t go against the NFL—they’ll squash you,” the note read.

He also expressed paranoia and apologized in advance for the attack. Authorities later found prescribed psychiatric medications and large amounts of ammunition in his vehicle.

Though Tamura never played in the NFL, his death arrives amid growing scrutiny over football’s long-term effects on brain health. A 2024 study published in JAMA Neurology by researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University found that 1 in 3 former NFL players believe they have CTE. The study surveyed nearly 2,000 ex-players and revealed alarming mental health disparities: 25% of those who believed they had CTE reported frequent suicidal thoughts, compared to just 5% of players who did not share that belief.

While CTE cannot yet be definitively diagnosed in living individuals, symptoms like depression, memory loss, paranoia, and suicidal ideation are common. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that Tamura had a documented history of mental illness, though the full scope of his medical background remains under investigation.

According to reports by Blavity, Mayor Eric Adams noted that Tamura appeared to be targeting the NFL specifically but mistakenly accessed the wrong section of the building. The tragedy has left families mourning and communities demanding accountability. Not only from gun control advocates but also from institutions like the NFL, which continues to face criticism over its handling of player health and safety.

As the city grieves, the shooting serves as a haunting reminder of what can happen when untreated mental illness, unresolved trauma, and institutional failures collide.

Prayers to the families of this tragic shooting.