NYC Mass Shooter May Have Targeted NFL, Mayor Adams Says

New York City officials believe that the gunman responsible for Monday’s deadly shooting in Manhattan may have specifically intended to target the National Football League (NFL). The attack at the 345 Park Avenue office tower left four people dead and one seriously injured, including an NFL employee.

Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that investigators “have reason to believe” the shooter had focused on the NFL’s headquarters, located inside the building. “It appears as though he was going after the employees of the NFL,” Adams said, citing a disturbing three-page note found in the shooter’s wallet.

The gunman, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, never made it to the NFL offices. Instead, he entered the 33rd floor, home to the property management firm Rudin, where he carried out the attack.

The note referenced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) a degenerative brain condition associated with repeated head injuries, commonly seen in former football players. “Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” the shooter wrote, referencing a former Pittsburgh Steelers player who died by suicide after suffering from brain damage.

“You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you,” the note read. “Study my brain please I’m sorry Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the gunman had a documented history of mental health struggles and had played high school football.

Among the four killed was 36-year-old NYPD officer Didarul Islam and Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner. The NFL employee wounded in the attack is in stable condition, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed.

“As has been widely reported, a gunman committed an unspeakable act of violence in our building at 345 Park Avenue. One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack,” Goodell said in a statement. “NFL staff are at the hospital and we are supporting his family.”

President Donald Trump expressed condolences and praised law enforcement efforts in the wake of the tragedy.

“I have been briefed on the tragic shooting that took place in Manhattan, a place that I know and love,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence. My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless the New York Police Department, and God Bless New York!”

Authorities are still reviewing surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing the note to determine the full motive behind the attack. The incident has raised renewed concerns about mental health and the long-term risks of repeated head injuries especially as the NFL continues to face scrutiny over how it handles CTE among current and former players.

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