NFL Link to Deadly Attack Investigated as Shooter Cites Concussions, CTE in Suicide Note

CNN's latest investigation into the recent Manhattan attack has shed light on possible connections between the shooter's athletic past and the severe head trauma he suffered as a football player. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, left behind a suicide note alleging he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to head trauma, and requesting his brain to be studied.

Key Takeaways:

• Tamura, a former high school football star, wrote in his suicide note that he suffered from CTE due to his football career, mentioning former NFL player Terry Long, who also suffered from CTE and died by suicide in 2005.
• Tamura was a standout running back at Golden Valley High School in the Los Angeles area, with his coach describing him as "lightning in a bottle" and one of the most talented athletes he'd ever seen.
• A former teammate, Dalone Neal, claimed Tamura sustained a few concussions while playing for Golden Valley and remembered him missing games or practices due to head injuries.
• Another former teammate described Tamura as having a big ball of energy and always having something funny to say, mentioning he had sustained a few concussions during his time at Golden Valley.
• Tamura's brain has not been studied for CTE, and his athletic accomplishments and potential head injuries are still under investigation.
• He attended Granada Hills Charter School in nearby San Fernando Valley in 2015 for his senior year of high school, where he played for the Highlanders football team.
• Tamura had a documented mental health history and was put on a psychiatric hold in 2022 and 2024, but the exact nature of his mental health issues remains unclear.
• Tamura was working as a surveillance department employee at Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and was licensed as a private investigator in both California and Nevada.
• Court records show Tamura was charged with misdemeanor trespassing in 2023, and a district attorney declined to pursue the case.

Statistics:

• 27: The age of the shooter, Shane Tamura
• 4: The number of victims killed in the Manhattan attack
• 1: The number of off-duty NYPD officer among the victims
• 2022 and 2024: The years in which Tamura was put on psychiatric holds
• 2019: The year Tamura received private investigator licenses in California and Nevada
• 5,000: The amount of money Tamura attempted to cash out at a Las Vegas casino
• 2013: The year a Santa Clarita Valley Signal article described Tamura as the Golden Valley Grizzlies' "biggest weapon" on offense
• 20: The number of years Coach Dan Kelley had been coaching high school football when he referred to Tamura as "lightning in a bottle"

Sources:

• "Santa Clarita Valley Signal" newspaper (exact date not specified)
• Los Angeles Daily News Prep Sports (2015)
• CNN (various dates and sources)
• Los Angeles Times (various dates and sources)
• Clark County court records
• Public records of private investigator licenses in California and Nevada
• Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel statement
• New York City Police Department (NYPD) incident report
• Transcript of CNN interview with former teammate, Dalone Neal
• Transcript of CNN interview with former teammate, who wishes to remain anonymous