The man accused of shooting five people before killing himself at a New York office building last week had multiple run-ins with police in Las Vegas in recent years.
According to records released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Shane Devon Tamura was the subject of two mental health crisis interventions in 2022 and 2024.
He was also arrested for a trespassing incident in 2023 and pulled over for a traffic violation in 2024.
Mental health interventions
In September 2022, LVMPD records show a police officer filled out an application for “emergency admission of a person in a mental health crisis to a mental health facility or hospital” on behalf of Tamura.
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“Shane states he is feeling suicidal due to numerous life/family issues,” the officer wrote. “He does have a gun, but it was not present/on him @ (sic) the time officer contacted him,” the officer wrote.
In a 911 call related to the incident, a woman identified as Tamura’s mother by a dispatcher said, “He said he was going to kill himself.”
She also indicated that he had sleeping pills and a gun.
“I was just inside the apartment with him, and he just started crying and slamming things and said I’m making him worse,” she said. “So, I said, ‘I’ll step outside. I don’t want you to be upset, but I’m afraid to leave.’”
The woman indicated that Tamura was under a doctor’s care for “depression, concussion – like sports concussion – chronic migraines, and insomnia.” She said he also smoked marijuana.
Authorities said Tamura had a suicide note in his pocket during last week’s shooting. In the note, authorities said he requested his brain be studied for CTE – a brain disease affecting many NFL football players who have suffered head injuries. Tamura played football in high school.
Authorities have said they believe he may have been targeting the NFL because the NFL’s offices were in the building where the shooting occurred.
Another mental health intervention
In body camera video released by LVMPD from an August 2024 incident, a medical crew could be seen wheeling Tamura away from his home on a gurney after he willingly sat on it.
According to an “application for emergency admission of a person in a mental health crisis to a mental health facility or hospital” filed by an officer, Tamura made statements that he was thinking about ending his life.
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“I have reason to believe that Shane (Tamura) if left alone could cause serious injury to himself or death,” an officer wrote. “He’s made vague statements to mom/medical about ending it. He doesn’t have a method in mind yet.”
Body camera footage appears to show Tamura telling a police officer where he keeps his gun.
Trespassing incident
Tamura’s 2023 arrest for a casino trespassing incident was also captured on body camera footage released by LVMPD. Police said Tamura refused to hand over his identification while trying to collect thousands of dollars in winnings.
In the video, Tamura repeatedly asks whether he is under arrest and expresses concern about being able to pay his rent.
