New York City gunman bought rifle from casino supervisor, police say

The suspect was seen on surveillance video entering the building

The gunman who opened fire in a New York City skyscraper, killing four people, purchased the rifle used in the attack from his boss at a Las Vegas casino, investigators said.

The supervisor, who has not been named, is co-operating with officials, and has not been charged. It is not known whether the sale was legal.

Shane Tamura, 27, died by suicide and left a note claiming to be suffering from CTE, a brain disease triggered by head injuries, police said.

The attack took the lives of policeman Didarul Islam, executive Wesley LePatner, security guard Aland Etienne, and real estate worker Julia Hyman.

Police said on Wednesday the semi-automatic rifle - also known as an assault rifle - was sold by the Horseshoe casino supervisor for $1,400 (£1,100). Tamura worked for the surveillance team at the casino.

In Nevada, any adult over 18 can buy a gun without a permit, however all sales require purchasers to undergo a background check. Officials did not say whether the check had been performed before the private sale of the rifle.

The supervisor also sold Tamura the black BMW that he drove from Las Vegas to New York, investigators revealed.

A search of the gunman's Las Vegas studio apartment uncovered anti-psychotic medication, and a suicide note addressed to his parents, they added.

Officers are speaking to his co-workers, and his parents are also co-operating with investigators.

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A note that the gunman carried during the attack asked investigators to study his brain. He claimed to be suffering from the brain disease CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The note also contained an apology, which investigators said was directed towards the supervisor.

Another pistol was found in his car, which officials said the gunman, who was approved to carry a concealed weapon in Nevada, legally purchased days before the attack.

It's believed Tamura was targeting the offices of the National Football League (NFL), which were inside the building. Tamura played football as a teenager but did not play in the NFL, ex-teammates have told US media.

The funeral of Julia Hyman took place in Manhattan on Wednesday. She graduated from Cornell University in 2020, and had worked for Rudin Management, the company that owns the building, for the last several years.

Her uncle eulogised her, paying tribute to the "passion, depth and integrity that she embodied".

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, joined the family of Aland Etienne for a news conference on Wednesday.

"New York City has lost a hero," said Smith Etienne, the victim's brother.

"Aland was a brother, a son, a loving father, a fantastic father, always doing his part to make the city of New York a little bit safer every day."

A funeral for NYPD officer Didarul Islam is scheduled for Thursday. Islam, an immigrant from Bangladesh who had worked for the NYPD for three years, will be posthumously promoted to the rank of detective.