At least five people, including a police officer, were killed after a gunman opened fire inside a high-rise office building in Midtown Manhattan on Monday evening, sending panic through one of New York City’s busiest commercial hubs.
The incident took place at 345 Park Avenue, home to major firms like the NFL, Blackstone, and KPMG, during the evening rush as employees were preparing to leave for the day, the New York Post reported.
Witnesses described moments of chaos and confusion as gunshots rang out across the 44-storey building.
“We heard multiple shots in quick succession from the ground floor,” Jessica Chen, who was attending a presentation on the second floor, told ABC News. “Some people ran out through the back exit, while others, including me, rushed into a conference room. We barricaded the doors with tables and stayed silent.”
Chen said around 150 people were in the room at the time. “I texted my parents to tell them I love them. It’s a feeling you can’t explain,” she added.
Photos from the scene showed employees on the 32nd floor barricading doors with office furniture. Nearby, other buildings issued shelter-in-place advisories, with workers told to stay low and away from windows.
Nekeisha Lewis, who was dining close to the building, recalled seeing the first-floor windows shatter as the shooting began.
“I heard gunshots, looked up, and saw the glass explode. A man ran out of the building screaming, ‘Help, help! I’ve been shot!’ Blood was pouring from his front and back,” she told NBC News. A colleague helped the injured man to the ground as police rushed in.
“It felt like being in a war zone,” Lewis added. “There was rapid fire, shattered glass, screaming; it was surreal.”
Others nearby also heard the gunfire and saw the heavy police response.
“I was just a block away when I heard the shots. Then I saw dozens of police officers rushing toward the building,” said Oleksandr Stupak, 30, who had been standing across the street. “I opened the Citizen app and saw there was an active shooter. It was chaos.”
One visibly shaken man sat on the steps of a nearby office building, describing the ordeal to a loved one over the phone. “I was at work in the lobby… someone came in with an assault rifle and started shooting,” he said, gasping for breath. He had visible injuries on his hand and leg as a police officer attended to him.
Surveillance images later revealed the gunman, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, entering the building calmly with an assault weapon in hand. He proceeded to the 33rd floor where he reportedly barricaded himself before turning the weapon on himself.
Authorities confirmed that Tamura died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Several others were injured during the rampage.
The sudden eruption of violence forced nearby offices into lockdown.
“People came running back in saying someone on the street was shouting about an active shooter,” said Kathleen Benanti, who works nearby. “We were told to stay low and keep away from the windows.”
Benanti, who lived through 9/11, said the scene triggered past trauma. “The sounds, the fear—it brought everything back for a moment. I’m OK now, but it was a lot.”
Anna Smith, a finance professional, was just down the block with colleagues when the shooting began. “We heard loud pops and then saw people sprinting in all directions,” she told ESPN. “It turned into crowd panic.”
Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the attack. The incident has once again raised concerns over gun violence in the United States, especially in public and commercial spaces.