NYC shooting at NFL headquarters: Roger Goodell addresses league employees, announces temporary office closure

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the league’s employees in an email sent Tuesday, one day after the league’s New York City offices at 345 Park Avenue were targeted in a shooting that killed four people and injured several others, including an NFL employee. Goodell said the NFL employee who was injured in the incident is “currently surrounded by his family and members of the NFL community.”

“We are all continuing to hope for and support his full recovery,” Goodell wrote. 

The internal memo advised NFL employees based in their New York offices to work remotely at least through August 8, the end of next week, while also expressing sympathy for those affected and announcing a virtual town hall to be held Wednesday.

“Thank you to all of you for the compassion, care, and support you are showing to one another right now. It means so much to see how our team is pulling together,” Goodell’s memo concludes. “In the midst of this difficult time, we hold on to hope and optimism for healing and brighter days ahead.”

The league offices were targeted by a 27-year old from Las Vegas, who in a suicide note discovered on his person said he believed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after playing contact sports, including football. He blamed the NFL for concealing the dangers of the sport. 

The shooter entered the 345 Park Avenue building with an M4 rifle, shooting and killing an NYPD officer working security in the building before inadvertently taking the elevator that led to the 33rd floor instead of the NFL offices on floors 5-8. The gunman later committed suicide.

The shooter, identified by authorities as 27-year old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, reportedly had a history of mental illness including self-reporting that he was suicidal. In his note, Tamura pleaded for his brain to be studied for CTE, claiming that the NFL had “knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits.” Tamura, who is said to have played high school football, reportedly referenced documentaries and literature on links between the NFL and degenerative brain disease in football players in his note.