NFL reacts to the shooting at the
league office building that killed 4 people
[July 30, 2025]
By STEPHEN WHYNO
NEW YORK (AP) — Graham Gano stayed late at the New York Giants'
practice facility Monday watching news coverage of a gunman killing
four people at a Manhattan office building that includes the NFL
headquarters.
“I was praying for just whoever was involved immediately,” said Gano,
a veteran kicker and the Giants' union representative. “It’s sad to
see no matter who it is, league office or not.”
Gano, fellow players, coaches and others learned Tuesday that the
target was the NFL itself, Mayor Eric Adams said, with the shooter
picking the wrong elevator bank and getting off on a different
floor. A league employee was among those wounded, according to
Commissioner Roger Goodell, and all the victims were in the thoughts
of members of the football community across the country with
training camps in full swing.
“Our hearts go out to the people in New York, especially the
families of the people that passed,” three-time Super Bowl-winning
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "The people at the league
office that had to go through all that. It’s a bad deal. We’ve got
to try to keep peace somewhere here. There’s too much of this.”
Goodell said in a memo to staff that a league employee was seriously
injured in the attack and was hospitalized in stable condition.

“We are deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who
responded to this threat quickly and decisively and to Officer
Islam, who gave his life to protect others,” said Goodell, referring
to Didarul Islam, an off-duty police officer working a corporate
security detail who was killed in the attack.
Cleveland Browns owner Dee Haslem, flanked by her husband, Jimmy,
said in remarks at camp, “We honor the policeman that also died in
the line of duty, and our prayers are with the ones that are
injured.”
In another memo sent Tuesday evening, Goodell said the league
employee was surrounded by family members and “We are all continuing
to hope for and support his full recovery.” He instructed those
working in the New York office to work remotely through at least
Aug. 8 and said there would be a virtual town hall Wednesday.
“This has been a challenging time for our entire team,” Goodell
said. “Thank you to all of you for the compassion, care, and support
you are showing to one another right now. It means so much to see
how our team is pulling together. In the midst of this difficult
time, we hold on to hope and optimism for healing and brighter days
ahead.”
Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson said the shooting “keeps things in
perspective as we enter training camp and the guys are going hard
that there’s a little bit more to life than just football.”
Investigators believe Shane Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, was trying to
get to the NFL offices after shooting several people in the
building’s lobby, then another in a 33rd-floor office on Monday,
before he killed himself, authorities said.
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Emergency response vehicles crowd 52nd Street outside a Manhattan
office building where two people were shot, including a New York
police officer, Monday, July 28, 2025, in New York. (AP
Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

“It’s always tough to hear things like that and
really to try to stay focused,” New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn
said. “You have to because you have a job to do, but you think about
the families that go through that and it’s tough.”
Police said Tamura had a history of mental illness, and a rambling
note found on his body suggested that he had a grievance against the
NFL over a claim that he suffered from chronic traumatic
encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can be diagnosed
only by examining the brain after a person dies.
Tamura played high school football in California a decade ago but
never in the NFL.
Giants coach Brian Daboll opened his pre-practice news conference in
East Rutherford, New Jersey, by referencing the shooting and saying
he had not had any conversations with players or staff about the
situation or if they were concerned for their safety. Gano expressed
no worry.
“Our security staff here is fantastic,” Gano said. “I think we’ve
got one of the best. ... We’re fully confident in our security team
here.”
Three-time Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery
Simmons saw reports of the shooting on Tuesday morning. He didn’t
have a chance to read up on the attack before practice at 8 a.m.,
but Simmons said that’s why mental health is one of the topics
brought up in football circles these days.
“Mental health is a big thing in this world, and it’s our job,
especially in this building," Simmons said. "One thing we talked
about as the leaders you never know when a guy’s last day may be in
this building or he could be on this team forever. So, I just want
to treat everybody the same.”

___
AP Pro Football Writers Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Florida; Dennis Waszak
in Florham Park, New Jersey; and Teresa M. Walker in Nashville,
Tennessee; AP Sports Writers Charles Odum in Flowery Branch,
Georgia; Dave Skretta in St. Joseph, Missouri; John Wawrow in
Pittsford, New York; and Brett Martel in Metairie, Louisiana; and AP
freelance writer Tom Withers in Berea, Ohio, contributed to this
report.
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