Inside Shane Tamura's football career: What to know about NYC shooting suspect's HS playing days and CTE claims

On Monday, July 28, three civilians and one police officer were killed by a gunman at 345 Park Avenue, a New York City building that is home to a host of firms and businesses, including the National Football League.

Shane Tamura, 27, is the suspect alleged to have shot and killed four victims while wounding an NFL employee. Tamura then fatally wounded himself.

Further investigation into the shooting revealed that Tamura was targeting the NFL's offices, but "appeared to have gone to the wrong floor" in the 44-story skyscraper.

Tamura carried a note that referenced the NFL and claimed he suffered from CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. While a living person cannot be diagnosed with the neurological disease, Tamura claimed that "football gave me CTE."

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that Tamura played high school football and had a documented mental health history, but the details of his playing career were not immediately known. In the time since, more has been uncovered about Tamura's playing career in Southern California, with former teammates and coaches responding to the situation. 

Here is what is known about Tamura's playing career.

MORE: Latest updates on Monday evening shooting in NFL HQ office building in NYC

Shane Tamura football career

Tamura played football throughout high school. 

He was a running back, cornerback, and free safety, according to a Hudl profile that contains highlights from his time at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, Calif. As a senior, Tamura played at Granada Hills Charter in Los Angeles.

Tamura had 126 carries, 600 rushing yards, and five touchdowns during his senior season, according to MaxPreps. There is footage of an interview following a game in which Tamura scored "a couple of touchdowns."

At Granada Hills, Tamura was coached by Walter Roby. In the aftermath of the shooting, Roby offered a comment on Tamura to Fox 11 Los Angeles.

"Shane was very quiet. He was a quiet, hard worker. He was coachable. So whatever we asked him to do, he was doing it. He led by, you know, his actions on the field. He was our, you know, one of my top offensive players at the time. … Could I have done more? Could I help the kid? Could I have reached out to him or could you reach out to me? It's just a lot of things I'm trying to process right now."

Shane Tamura high school

Tamura attended Golden Valley High School for three years before finishing at Granada Hills Charter in Los Angeles. He graduated from Granada Hills in 2016.

Did Shane Tamura play college football?

There is no known information about Tamura playing football beyond high school.

Did Shane Tamura play in the NFL?

Tamura did not play football professionally. 

While he did not play in the NFL, Tamura mentioned the league in a three-page note found after the shooting. In his note, Tamura wrote, "You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.

"Please study brain for CTE. I’m sorry. The league knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits. They failed us."

Tamura's note also mentions deceased NFL player Terry Long, who died by suicide and was later found to have CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Shane Tamura CTE

While Tamura's note claims he has CTE, a confirmed diagnosis cannot be made in a living person.

It is not known if Tamura's brain will be studied, but an autopsy is needed for specialists to confirm a CTE diagnosis.