‘Study my brain’: NFL shooter who killed four confirmed to have CTE; accused league of hiding brain injury risks

Shane Tamura (AP)

Shane Tamura, who drove from Las Vegas and opened fire at the NFL headquarters in New York, killing four people, was found to have CTE, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Friday.The shooter, who requested in a note that his brain be studied for the disease, was confirmed to have the degenerative brain condition he previously mentioned in his own writings.Police recovered a three-page note in Tamura’s pocket in which he claimed to have a traumatic brain injury and accused the NFL of “concealing the dangers to players’ brains to maximize profits,” as cited by ABC News.In another part of the note, he wrote, “study my brain please. I’m sorry.”Tamura, armed with a high-powered rifle, killed himself after rampaging through the lobby and upper floors of the skyscraper.“Following a thorough assessment and extensive analysis by our neuropathology experts, OCME has found unambiguous diagnostic evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, in the brain tissue of the decedent. The findings correspond with the classification of low-stage CTE, according to current consensus criteria,” the medical examiner’s office said. CTE is linked to repeated head trauma, but its physical and mental effects are still under study. The medical examiner’s office ruled earlier that Tamura died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, though pathologists did not indicate whether CTE contributed to his actions.On July 28, Tamura reportedly aimed for the NFL headquarters, entering 345 Park Ave. armed with an AR-15-style rifle. He did not reach the league’s offices but killed four people, including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, 36, before taking his own life, as per the New York Post.