The police officer tragically killed in a mass shooting in New York has been named as Didarul Islam.
The 36-year-old man, who had served with New York Police Department (NYPD) for three-and-a-half years, was an immigrant from Bangladesh and a devoted father, with his wife currently expecting their second child. Officer Islam was fatally shot in the back while working as a security guard - his second job - at 345 Park Avenue on Monday night. Despite being swiftly taken to hospital and undergoing surgery, efforts to save him were ultimately unsuccessful.
Mayor Eric Adams paid tribute to Officer Islam in a heartfelt speech on Monday night, praising him as a "person of faith" who had a deep love for New York City. The mayor continued: "He was doing what he does best, as all members of the police department carry out he was saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers. He's an immigrant from Bangladesh, and he loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person."
The assailant, responsible for the death of at least four individuals, has been identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura. According to officials, Tamura exchanged gunfire with Officer Islam in the lobby before proceeding to the 33rd floor of the office block.
The NYPD was flooded with distress calls from the 32nd and 33rd floors, where approximately 100 individuals were huddled in fear, the Mirror US says. Fresh images from the 33rd floor reveal office staff in a corporate building using sofas and other furniture to barricade themselves in.
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An NYPD spokesperson verified that the office block was put on lockdown for several hours following the cessation of gunfire. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced just before 8pm (local time) on X: "The scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralized."
NBC received information from four high-ranking New York City officials that the assailant had taken his own life. A body was discovered in a stairwell with a rifle, deceased from what seemed to be a self-inflicted wound, an official disclosed to CNN.
There have been at least four fatalities linked to the incident. CNN was informed by law enforcement sources that the gunman possessed an expired private investigator's license and a Las Vegas concealed carry permit for a handgun. His residence in Las Vegas is said to be under law enforcement siege.
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