A former Golden Valley High School football player identified as the perpetrator of a New York City mass shooting in July was found with signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE, according to the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
Shane Tamura was the suspect involved in a mass shooting that took place in an office building located at 345 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan on July 28.
Five people were killed and six others were injured, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch during an evening news conference on the day of the incident.
Tamura was known to have a documented history of mental health concerns, according to Tisch, and he died from a self-inflicted gunshot the same day of the mass shooting. He was 27.
The next day, numerous media reports mentioned prescription medication and notes found on Tamura’s body indicating Tamura blamed the NFL for the mental health issues. The 645-foot-tall skyscraper where the shooting occurred houses the offices of Blackstone, Rudin Management and the National Football League.
On Friday, the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner released new details on Tamura’s autopsy after a thorough assessment and extensive analysis by neuropathology experts, according to a news release.
Tamura was found with “unambiguous diagnostic evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE, in the brain tissue of the decedent,” the release said. “The findings correspond with the classification of low-stage CTE, according to current consensus criteria.”
Tamura was featured in The Signal’s Foothill League football preview in October 2014 as a standout running back who came “out of nowhere to become one of the most electrifying players in the league,” according to the article.
He then later transferred to play football in Granada Hills, according to media reports.
“CTE may be found in the brains of decedents with a history of repeated exposure to head trauma,” the medical examiner’s release stated. “The science around this condition continues to evolve, and the physical and mental manifestations of CTE remain under study.”
