A Blackstone executive and mother of two, a “beloved” security guard, a Cornell graduate and an NYPD officer survived by his pregnant wife and sons have been identified as the four victims fatally shot inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper on Monday.
Gunfire erupted inside the Park Ave. office tower, which is owned by Rudin Management and houses offices for the NFL as well as the investment giant Blackstone, just before 6:30 p.m.
Police said the gunman, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, charged into the building’s lobby with an an M-4 rifle and then immediately opened fire.
While his motive remains under investigation, authorities believe Tamura was trying to target the NFL offices inside the high-rise but used the wrong elevator bank after wreaking havoc in the lobby. He again opened fire on the 33rd floor before he eventually turned the gun on himself, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
NYPD Officer Didarul Islam was killed in the shooting alongside three civilians: Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, security officer Aland Etienne and Rudin employee Julia Hyman.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said an NFL employee was also seriously hurt in the violence but is currently in stable condition.
On Tuesday, Gov. Hochul ordered flags at state government buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims, and they’ll remain that way until each person is laid to rest. Here’s everything we know about them so far:
Wesley LePatner
LePatner, 43, was in the lobby when she was fatally struck, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Ave.,” the company said in a statement. “Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed.”
A Yale graduate, LePatner began her career at Goldman Sachs, where she spent more than a decade before joining Blackstone in 2014. She served as “global head of Core+ Real Estate” and CEO of one of the largest funds owned by Blackstone, the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, according to the investment firm’s website. The property fund has a $53 billion net asset value and a $275 billion market capitalization.
LePatner was “brilliant, passionate, warm, generous and deeply respected within our firm and beyond,” the statement continued. “She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family.”
According to The Real Deal, she leaves behind two children.
LePatner was also remembered in a statement from her family as a “most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative, who enriched our lives in every way imaginable.”
“To so many others, she was a beloved, fiercely loyal and caring friend, and a driven and extraordinarily talented professional and colleague,” they continued. “At this unbearably painful time, we are experiencing an enormous, gaping hole in our hearts that will never be filled, yet we will carry on the remarkable legacy Wesley created.”
LePatner served on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Abraham Joshua Heschel School, the UJA-Federation of New York and the Yale University Library Council. She was also a trustee of the all-girls Hewitt School on the Upper East Side.
Aland Etienne
Manny Pastreich, president of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement on Tuesday that 46-year-old Etienne was among those killed in the mass shooting. Like LePatner, he was also fatally shot inside the building’s lobby, where he’d been working at the time.
Pastreich described Etienne as “a dedicated security officer who took his job duties extremely seriously,” adding that his death “speaks to the sacrifice of security officers who risk their lives every day to keep New Yorkers and our buildings safe.”
“Every time a security officer puts on their uniform, they put their lives on the line,” the statement concluded. “Their contributions to our city are essential, though often unappreciated. Aland Etienne is a New York hero. We will remember him as such.”
His brother, Gathmand Etienne, confirmed in a social media post on Tuesday that his family had “suffered a heartbreaking tragedy.”
“He was more than a brother — he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives,” he wrote. “Our hearts are shattered, and we’re asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time.”
A 32BJ rep visiting Etienne’s Canarsie home on Tuesday told reporters the security guard’s 6-year-old son was set to turn 7 on Saturday.
Rachell Paoli, EItienne’s girlfriend, answered the door, and told reporters Etienne’s five brothers and one sister were on their way from Florida to mourn their sibling.
One of those brothers, Smith Etienne, talked to the press Tuesday evening.
“We’re still trying to process what happened yesterday,” he said. “Our prayers are with everybody that’s affected by this. It’s a very tough time right now.”
Julia Hyman
Hyman, a 27-year-old graduate of Cornell University, was shot Monday on the 33rd floor of the Manhattan skyscraper, where she worked as an associate for Rudin Management since last November.
“The Rudin family and everyone at our company are devastated by yesterday’s senseless tragedy,” the company said in a statement to NBC on Tuesday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and lost last night, including our cherished Rudin colleague, a brave New York City police officer, a beloved lobby security guard and an employee at a tenant firm.”
“As New Yorkers, we stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of this hatred, we grieve with the families and loved ones of those lost, and we pray for the full recovery of those injured.”
Prior to earning a degree in hotel administration from Cornell, Hyman graduated from the Riverdale Country School in the Fieldston section of the Bronx in 2016.
During her senior year of high school, she was the varsity captain of the soccer, swimming and lacrosse teams, as well as the recipient of the Founders Award, presented to the young woman who best demonstrates “outstanding ability, leadership and sportsmanship, and the qualities of hard work, excellent attitude and responsibility to her teammates and school.”
In a letter to the Riverdale community, Head of School Kari Ostrem remembered Hyman “for her light, her bright smile and infectious laugh, and the kindness and sense of community that she brought to school every day.”
Hyman’s uncle, Robert Pittman, was struggling to process the loss when reached by phone on Tuesday.
“She really was an amazing person with a bright future, but right now I can’t really say anything,” he explained. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
Didarul Islam
Islam was off-duty and providing security at the Park Ave. building when he was gunned down inside the lobby, police said.
“He was doing the job that we asked him to do,” Tisch said of the slain officer. “He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice, shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to this city. He died as he lived, a hero.”
Islam, a 36-year-old who immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh, served with the NYPD for more than three years. He was assigned to the 47th Precinct in the Bronx.
Already a father to two young boys, Islam’s wife is currently pregnant with their third child. She’s expected to give birth in August.
“Officer Didarul Islam was a beloved family man and brave public servant who dedicated his life to protecting New Yorkers,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on X. “My deepest condolences go out to his family and the loved ones of all of those tragically taken in last night’s horrific and senseless Midtown shooting.”
A statement shared on the precinct’s social media pages echoed the sentiment and remembered Islam as “a husband, father, and dedicated public servant.”
With Colin Mixson
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