Four people were killed, including a police officer, in a shooting Monday in New York City by a suspect armed with an assault rifle, said Mayor Eric Adams.
"Five innocent people were shot tonight. We lost four souls to another senseless act of gun violence, including a member of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Officer Islam," Adams said at a news conference.
Adams said two males and one female were dead, along with the police officer, Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, who was married with two boys. His wife is pregnant with their third child.
"Another male is seriously injured, fighting for his life in critical condition because of the violent, despicable attack," he said.
The shooting occurred on Monday around 6:30 pm at 345 Park Avenue, a 44-storey skyscraper that houses major firms including Blackstone, Bank of America, KPMG, and the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL).
According to law enforcement sources, the gunman entered the building with an assault rifle and opened fire, killing one NYPD officer and seriously wounding two other individuals.
He then took an elevator to the 33rd floor — part of Blackstone’s headquarters — where he barricaded himself and later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"At this time, the scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralised," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on X.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed she had been briefed on the situation, and officials described a swift and coordinated emergency response.
Reports suggested the suspect is a 27-year-old from Las Vegas. Sources say he appeared to have targeted the location and was heavily armed.
The FBI and other federal agencies responded to assist the NYPD in securing the building and investigating the attack.
This is one of the most serious attacks on law enforcement in New York in recent memory.
The NYPD has not yet confirmed the names or conditions of the wounded.
The building was temporarily placed on lockdown, and police urged people to avoid the area between East 52nd Street, Park Avenue, and Lexington Avenue.
