A daylight shooting triggered panic in the heart of New York City on Tuesday, leaving four people dead including the gunman inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper housing major financial firms like Blackstone, the world’s largest hedge fund. The violence erupted around 6 PM local time (midnight Italy) at 345 Park Avenue, a nearly 200-meter-tall tower also home to the National Football League, KPMG, Rudin Management, and Deutsche Bank.
Among the victims was a police officer, fatally shot in the back and pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. The deceased shooter has been preliminarily identified as a 27-year-old white male resident of Las Vegas, reportedly without significant prior criminal history. His motive remains unknown.
Security footage showed the suspect, wearing dark glasses, sneakers, black pants, a blue jacket, and a light blue shirt, calmly approaching the building entrance. Authorities believe he was also wearing body armor and brandished an assault-style rifle, resembling an AR-15 or AK-47, perpendicular to his legs. He managed to take an elevator to the 32nd and 33rd floors, killing at least four people before being found dead on the 33rd floor, which houses Rudin Management offices. Police sources suggest he may have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The first shots prompted immediate lockdowns within the targeted building and neighboring structures, with occupants barricading themselves. Responding police, including helicopter and drone units, swiftly surrounded the skyscraper. Within minutes, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced via social media that the scene was secured and the “lone gunman” had been “neutralized.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an alert on social media platform X, urging residents near Park Avenue and East 51st Street to shelter in place and exercise caution. Evacuations proceeded later with groups exiting slowly with hands raised.
A Blackstone employee working on the 31st floor recounted hearing loud bangs and thuds from above before receiving an email alert about an active shooter. Police located a vehicle associated with the gunman but have not confirmed if it was used for travel from Las Vegas to New York City. Authorities noted the difficulty of transporting such a rifle by air or concealing it on buses or trains.