Manhattan Shooter Blamed CTE For Rampage: What Is It? Why Is It Common Among NFL Players?

Last Updated:August 03, 2025, 19:09 IST

CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma, especially in contact sports and military service

News18

The man who killed four people in a rampage with a rifle on July 28 through a Midtown Manhattan office building was carrying a note that appeared to blame the Football League for his Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease, New York Mayor Eric Adams said.

Police have identified the shooter as Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old Las Vegas resident with a history of mental illness struggles, who ended the massacre by shooting himself in the chest on the 33rd floor of a Park Avenue office tower.

The NFL has its headquarters in the skyscraper, but Tamura apparently entered the wrong elevator bank and ended up in the offices of Rudin Management, a real estate company, where he shot employees, the mayor said. “The note alluded to that he felt he had CTE, a known brain injury for those who participate in contact sports," Adams told CBS News. “He appeared to have blamed the NFL for his injury."

What is CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?

CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma, especially in contact sports and military service. It has become widely discussed due to its connection to mental health issues, memory loss, aggression, and violent behaviour, sometimes cited in high-profile criminal cases.

It is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive brain trauma, including both concussions and subconcussive blows (hits that don’t cause immediate symptoms).

It results in a buildup of tau protein in the brain, which damages and eventually kills brain cells.

Symptoms, which can appear years or decades later:

Who gets CTE?

People exposed to repetitive head trauma, including:

Football, boxing, hockey, and soccer players

Military veterans exposed to blast injuries

Victims of domestic violence

Occasionally in people with multiple head injuries due to accidents

NFL players who suffered from CTE

A 2023 Boston University study found CTE in more than 90% of former NFL players’ brains donated for research.

Junior Seau: Died of suicide (2012)

Aaron Hernandez: Died of Suicide (2017)

Mike Webster: Died of heart failure (2002)

Derek Boogaard: Died of overdose (2011)

Dave Duerson: Died of suicide (2011)

Bob Probert: Died of heart failure (2010)

Demaryius Thomas: Died of Seizure disorder

News explainers Manhattan Shooter Blamed CTE For Rampage: What Is It? Why Is It Common Among NFL Players?

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