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The gunman who killed four people in a Midtown Manhattan office building in July, Shane Tamura, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head injuries, according to the New York City medical examiner’s office. Tamura, 27, died by suicide after the shooting. The medical examiner confirmed that Tamura had low-stage CTE, a condition that can only be diagnosed after death. Tamura, a former high school football player, had left notes blaming the National Football League (NFL) for hiding the dangers of CTE and asked that his brain be studied, as per New York Times report. Shooting And Victims Tamura drove from Las Vegas to Manhattan and targeted the office building at 345 Park Avenue, which houses the NFL headquarters. Four people were killed -- officer Didarul Islam, security guard Aland Etienne, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, and Julia Hyman from Rudin Management. Craig Clementi, an NFL employee, was also injured. Tamura suffered from anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. His notes suggested he believed his mental health issues were caused by repeated head injuries from football. Experts caution that while CTE can affect decision-making and aggression, most people with the disease do not commit violent acts. What Is CTE? CTE damages parts of the brain responsible for memory, judgment, and emotional control. Symptoms include mood swings, impulse control problems, and aggression. While most diagnosed cases are in professional athletes with decades of contact sports experience, researchers have found the disease in younger athletes, including those who only played at high school or college levels. The findings highlight ongoing concerns about the long-term risks of contact sports like football, even at youth levels. Experts say research is still limited, and other factors may influence behavior. Efforts are underway to develop tests to detect CTE in living people using blood tests or brain imaging. The NFL said it does not condone Tamura’s actions and emphasized that research on CTE continues. Since 2016, the league has acknowledged a connection between football and brain injuries and has encouraged safer play for children, including flag football and safer tackling methods. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
