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NYC shooting victims include NYPD officer, Blackstone executive

NYC shooting victims include NYPD officer, Blackstone executive

USA, Featured14 hours ago2 Views

Five people were shot when a gunman opened fire at a Manhattan skyscraper on July 28. Here’s what we know so far about the victims.

Four people, including a New York City police officer, were killed in a shooting at a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday, July 28.

Authorities said a gunman, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Nevada, charged into the building at 345 Park Ave. during rush hour, fatally shooting four people and injuring several others before killing himself.

The Midtown Manhattan skyscraper where the shooting occurred is a corporate office building housing tenants like Blackstone, KPMG and the National Football League.

Surveillance footage showed the gunman entering the building with an AR-style rifle, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Police said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

Here’s what we know so far about the victims.

NYC skyscraper shooting: How many victims are there?

Authorities initially said the four people killed in the shooting were a NYPD officer, two men and a woman. The victims were later identified by officials and loved ones as two men, including the NYPD officer, and two women.

A fifth person was also seriously injured in the shooting, and four other people sustained minor injuries while attempting to flee from the scene, Tisch said.

After entering the building, the suspect immediately opened fire at the NYPD officer, who was working a paid security detail at the building, Tisch said. He then proceeded “through the lobby, spraying it with gunfire,” Tisch said.

A woman who sought cover behind a pillar, a security guard who was sitting behind a desk and another man in the lobby were also shot, Tisch said. The gunman then entered the building’s elevator and went up to the 33rd floor. He fired rounds on that floor, striking and killing one person, before shooting himself.

Who is Didarul Islam? NYPD officer killed in shooting

Didarul Islam, 36, was identified as the slain NYPD officer. Islam was a 3-and-a-half year veteran of the department, NYC Mayor Eric Adams said. He was a member of the 47th Precinct, which serves the northern Bronx.

A statement on the precinct’s social media pages said Islam was “a husband, father, and dedicated public servant.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a social media statement that Islam is survived by two young sons and his wife, who is expecting the couple’s third child.

Adams said Islam was an immigrant from Bangladesh.

“Everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out a life of a Godly person,” Adams said.

Adams also said he met with Islam’s family and told them that that “he was a hero, and we admire him for putting his life on the line.”

“He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way,” Tisch said. “He made the ultimate sacrifice, shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to this city. He died as he lived, a hero.”

Blackstone confirms executive Wesley LePatner killed in shooting

Blackstone said in a statement to USA TODAY that Wesley LePatner, a senior managing director, was killed in the shooting.

“We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue,” the statement said. “Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed.”

The statement said LePatner was “brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond.”

“She embodied the best of Blackstone,” the statement added. “Our prayers are with her husband, children and family. We are also saddened by the loss of the other innocent victims as well, including brave security personnel and NYPD.”

According to Blackstone’s website, LePatner joined the firm in 2014 after over a decade at Goldman Sachs. She held a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and served on the boards of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, The UJA-Federation of New York and Yale University Library Council.

Union identifies security officer killed in shooting: ‘A New York hero’

The 32BJ chapter of the Service Employees International Union said in a statement that one of its members, Aland Etienne, a security officer at 345 Park Ave., was killed in the shooting.

“We extend our deep condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones tonight, including that of our own 32BJ SEIU security member Aland Etienne, a dedicated security officer who took his job duties extremely seriously,” the statement said.

The statement also said the union has been in touch with Etienne’s family and is working with building management and the NYPD to support the investigation.

“Aland Etienne is a New York hero. We will remember him as such,” the statement said.

Cornell University identifies graduate killed in shooting

Julia Hyman was an associate at Rudin Management, the owner of the Park Avenue building, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said in a statement.

Hyman, who was from Manhattan, was a 2020 graduate of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, according to Kotlikoff. She graduated summa cum laude with a major in hotel and restaurant administration and a minor in real estate.

Before joining Rudin Management, Kotlikoff said Hyman’s first job after graduating was with Sagehall Partners, a private investment firm located in New York, according to company’s LinkedIn page. Kotlikoff added that Hyman visited Cornell University earlier this summer for her five-year reunion.

Prior to earning her degree from Cornell, Hyman graduated from the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx in 2016, according to her LinkedIn page. She began working at Rudin Management in November 2024.

“We extend our deepest condolences to all the families whose loved ones were lost in this senseless act,” Kotlikoff said.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen and James Powel, USA TODAY

This story has been updated with additional information and to add a new photo.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.