The man who attacked a Midtown office building, Shane Tamura, was later revealed to have had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (C.T.E.). This discovery shed light on the tragic event where he ultimately took his own life.
A note left by Tamura, once a high school football player, detailed the profound anger that served as his motive. He explicitly blamed the National Football League for his condition, linking the head trauma from his playing days to his deteriorating mental state.
C.T.E. is a degenerative neurological disease found in people who have experienced repeated head trauma. For athletes in high-contact sports, this has become a serious and chronic concern, debated in public and medical forums.
Tamura's note described his struggle with symptoms consistent with C.T.E., such as aggression and paranoia. His final act was a statement, tragically aimed at the institution he felt was responsible for his suffering.
This incident has intensified the ongoing conversation about the responsibilities of sports leagues regarding the long-term health of their players, both amateur and professional.