A young woman with a bright future was one of four people killed in a shocking office building shooting in New York City on July 28. Julia Hyman, a recent Cornell graduate and rising professional, lost her life when 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura opened fire inside 345 Park Avenue before turning the gun on himself.
Hyman had only been out of college for five years and had already built a promising career. She earned her degree from Cornell University’s Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration in 2020 and made the Dean’s List in six of eight semesters. The university described her as an “extraordinary student” with a reputation for excellence and curiosity. Kate Walsh, dean of the Nolan School, said Hyman left a lasting impression on faculty and peers alike, reported the New York Post.
She started working at Rudin Management nine months ago as an associate. The company owns the 345 Park Avenue building where the shooting occurred. That Monday, Hyman was doing her job on the 33rd floor when her life was cut short.
Tamura’s target wasn’t supposed to be Rudin Management at all. Authorities believe he was aiming for the NFL headquarters, located in the same building. But he got on the wrong elevator. “He, from our preliminary investigation, took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Instead, it took him to Rudin Management, and that is where he carried out additional shootings and took the lives of additional employees.”
According to Adams, Tamura left behind a letter mentioning chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a brain condition linked to repeated head trauma — and expressed strong resentment toward the NFL. Officials believe he was fixated on the organization. The league confirmed that one of their employees was critically injured in the attack.
Tamura drove all the way from Las Vegas to New York and parked his car outside the building before entering with an assault rifle. He fired at multiple people, including Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old NYPD officer working security who was also wounded. Islam is a father of two, with a third child on the way.
The shooter also claimed the lives of Wesley LePatner, an employee at Blackstone and mother of two, and security guard Aland Etienne. LePatner’s employer released a statement mourning her death, saying, “Our prayers are with her husband, children and family.” Etienne’s union described him as a hero, with 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich saying, “We will remember him as such.”
Several others were injured while trying to escape during the chaos, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. She revealed Tamura had a documented mental health history, yet still held a legal gun permit in Nevada. When police searched his black BMW, they found a rifle case, a loaded revolver, ammunition, and multiple magazines.
Tamura had a background in football and had once been a high school star athlete in Southern California. He reportedly believed he was suffering from CTE and requested a postmortem examination for the disease. But instead of seeking help, he carried out one of the city’s most tragic and senseless acts of violence in recent memory.