NYPD Officer Among Two Victims Identified In Deadly NYC Mass Shooting
A mass shooting rocked Midtown Manhattan on Monday night, leaving four people dead, including an NYPD officer and a top executive at Blackstone. One other individual, an NFL employee, remains hospitalized in serious condition.
The shooting occurred at 345 Park Avenue, a prominent office tower that houses several high-profile tenants, including the NFL and Blackstone. The gunman, a 27-year-old male from Las Vegas, traveled cross-country and launched the deadly attack before taking his own life. Authorities say the rampage was driven by grievances related to brain trauma from football injuries and a desire to target the NFL.
Among the victims was NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh, husband, father of two, and with a third child on the way. Islam had served in the department for just over three years. Mayor Eric Adams praised the fallen officer, saying, “He was doing what he does best… He’s a true blue New Yorker not only in the uniform he wore but in the spirit and energy of loving this city.”
Police Officer Didarul Islam represented the very best of our department.
He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today.
We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honor his legacy.#FidelisAdMortem pic.twitter.com/vkBZetsz2N
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) July 29, 2025
The shooting began in the building’s lobby, where the suspect gunned down Officer Islam and a female victim who had tried to take cover behind a pillar. He then fatally shot a security guard near the elevators and continued his assault, firing indiscriminately throughout the ground floor before heading up to the 33rd floor.
There, he encountered and killed Wesley LePatner, the CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust. Blackstone confirmed her death, calling her “brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond.”
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the gunman mistakenly targeted the wrong floor. He had intended to attack the NFL’s offices, but instead entered the premises occupied by Rudin Management. A note found on his body expressed frustration toward the NFL over Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease tied to repetitive head trauma. Officials say the shooter played football in high school and blamed the league for long-term psychological and cognitive issues.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that one of the league’s employees was seriously injured in the shooting. “He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition. NFL staff are at the hospital and we are supporting his family,” Goodell stated in a memo.
After opening fire on the 33rd floor, the shooter ultimately turned the gun on himself.
Law enforcement officials, including FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, say the bureau is actively assisting the NYPD in the investigation. Bongino noted that federal agents are working to trace the suspect’s travel route, online activity, and weapon purchases.
The NYPD said the suspect legally purchased his firearm in Nevada before making the cross-country drive to New York. Investigators are now examining whether he had any prior mental health red flags or associations that would have warranted intervention.
This shooting marks one of the most violent incidents in recent New York memory and has reignited calls for stronger security at office buildings and for greater mental health awareness in connection with youth athletics.
Mayor Adams emphasized the heroism of Officer Islam and the senseless nature of the attack, stating, “We lost a protector, a father, a husband — and for what? A lie believed by a disturbed man.”
No further details about the shooter’s background or his time in high school athletics have been released. The investigation remains ongoing.