CTE Confirmed in Case of NFL HQ Shooter

The man who drove from Las Vegas to New York in late July and opened fire at NFL headquarters, killing four people, was found to have CTE, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The finding reflected the shooter's own words.

Local ABC 7 in New York reported that police recovered a three-page note in Shane Tamura's pocket in which he claimed to have suffered a traumatic brain injury and accused the NFL of "concealing the dangers to players' brains to maximize profits." In another passage, he wrote, "Study my brain please. I'm sorry."

Tamura died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The ME's statement reads: "Following a thorough assessment and extensive analysis by our neuropathology experts, OCME has found unambiguous diagnostic evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, in the brain tissue of the decedent." 

"The findings," according to the statement, "correspond with the classification of low-stage CTE, according to current consensus criteria."

The ME's office concluded, "CTE may be found in the brains of decedents with a history of repeated exposure to head trauma. The science around this condition continues to evolve, and the physical and mental manifestations of CTE remain under study."

The office had previously reported Tamura's death as a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pathologists did not state whether CTE played any role.

The four victims of the shooting were a security guard at the building, an executive at Blackstone who was a wife and mother, a police officer who was a father of two, and a young employee at Rudin Management.

The degenerative brain disease long linked to the NFL — at the center of massive lawsuits, congressional hearings, a Hollywood dramatization, and the steady toll of former players' deaths — has now surfaced in connection with professional football in a violent and highly public way.

CTE is caused by repeated head trauma and has been associated with memory loss, impaired judgment, mood disorders, and in some cases, violent behavior.

• Growing Concern Over Head Injuries in Football
• What to Know About the Brain Disease CTE