The shooter accused of entering a skyscraper on Park Avenue in Manhattan and killing four people suspected he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative brain disease often associated with American football players.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that Shane Tamura, 27, possibly targeted the offices of the NFL located in the building where police say he shot and killed four people, left another in critical condition, and then fatally shot himself on Monday night.
Tamura played American football in high school in California. A 2014 article in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal called him a standout running back who emerged “out of nowhere to become one of the most electrifying players in the league”.
Police say a three-page note found in his wallet at the scene requested that his brain be studied for CTE and blamed the NFL for concealing the dangers of American football to the brain. Tamura did not play in the NFL.
What is CTE?
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that involves the buildup of abnormal tau proteins, often leading to violent mood changes, suicidal thoughts, dementia, and other negative effects.
The condition is often associated with athletes in full-contact sports, particularly American football, as it has been linked to frequent concussions and head blows.
Doctors still cannot diagnose the disease in living patients. But a 2017 study examining the brains of former American football players at all levels found that 177 out of 202 had CTE, nearly 88%.
A recently published Harvard University study of 1,980 former professional American football players who played between 1960 and 2020 found that one-third of them believed they had CTE. More than 230 of the former players reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, and 176 reported a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
Researchers in both studies acknowledged that selection bias may have been a factor, as families of deceased players with health issues or former players with health problems may have been more motivated to participate.
Boston University researchers said in 2023 that they had posthumously diagnosed 345 former NFL players with the disease.
The NFL and CTE
Former players and advocacy groups have criticized the NFL for the role the organization allegedly played in suppressing CTE research. In 2016, a congressional committee found that the NFL “attempted to influence the grant selection process” for a study on brain injuries.
Forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu gained attention for his CTE findings in a 2002 autopsy of a former NFL player. He told NPR that the NFL responded to his research by accusing him of fraud.
A 2009 GQ Magazine article reported on Omalu’s research and the resistance he faced. In 2015, the story was turned into a Hollywood movie that helped popularize the issue and led many fans to question the safety of the nation’s most popular sport.
Former players who sued the NFL accused the league of trying to minimize public perception of the risks of head trauma. In 2016, a federal appeals court upheld a major settlement between the NFL and thousands of former players with neurological disorders.
In the note left at the Manhattan shooting scene, Tamura mentioned the 2005 suicide of former NFL player Terry Long, who was revealed to have lived with CTE.
“You can’t go against the NFL,” Tamura wrote, according to police. “They’ll crush you.”
The NFL responded to criticism about how it protects its players from head trauma by instituting rules for when a player is suspected of having suffered a concussion. The league says it applies a five-step protocol before players can return to the field after a concussion, and the checklist is reviewed every year.
It is also expanding the use of new helmets that the league says reduce concussions.
An NFL spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the shooting and CTE.
Former players who sued the NFL accused the league of trying to minimize public perception of the risks of head trauma. In 2016, a federal appeals court upheld a major settlement between the NFL and thousands of former players with neurological disorders.
In the note left at the Manhattan shooting scene, Tamura mentioned the 2005 suicide of former NFL player Terry Long, who was revealed to have lived with CTE.
“You can’t go against the NFL,” Tamura wrote, according to police. “They’ll crush you.”
The NFL responded to criticism about how it protects its players from head trauma by instituting rules for when a player is suspected of having suffered a concussion. The league says it applies a five-step protocol before players can return to the field after a concussion, and the checklist is reviewed every year.
It is also expanding the use of new helmets that the league says reduce concussions.
An NFL spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the shooting and CTE.
Violence and CTE
Many brains of former NFL players who died by suicide were found to have signs of CTE.
In 2011, former NFL player Dave Duerson killed himself, leaving a request for his brain to be studied for signs of CTE. Researchers at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy found that Duerson suffered from an advanced form of the condition.
A year later, retired linebacker Junior Seau died in the same way, and his family requested that his brain be studied for the disease. The researchers said his brain had “cellular changes consistent with CTE”.
In a high-profile case, former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez, who had a history of violent and aggressive behavior, was convicted in 2015 of first-degree murder.
Two years later, he was found dead by suicide in his prison cell at age 27, and his brain revealed one of the most extreme cases of CTE documented in someone his age.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 9 8 8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Source: npr.org by Alana Wise