The Basic Facts About Shane Tamura
Shane Devon Tamura drove his BMW from Las Vegas to New York City last week. The 27-year-old former high school football player carried a valid Nevada concealed carry permit and had driven cross-country through Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa before arriving in Manhattan on Monday afternoon.
Just after 6:30 p.m., he walked into 345 Park Avenue carrying a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 assault rifle and opened fire, killing four people including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam before taking his own life on the 33rd floor.
Documents obtained by Fox News Digital indicate Tamura had a concealed carry permit that was issued on June 14, 2022, and is valid for five years.
Looks correct
— BrutalBrittany (@BrutalBrittany2) July 29, 2025
Police found a loaded revolver, rifle case, ammunition, magazines, and prescribed medication in his car. A suicide note found in his pocket blamed football-related brain trauma and expressed anger at the NFL, asking that his brain be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CNN’s False Claims About Nevada Gun Laws
CNN’s so-called law enforcement analyst made a completely false statement about Nevada’s concealed carry requirements. The analyst claimed:
“All you have to do is show that you are a resident of the state and that you are not a convicted felon, or subject of an order of protection or restraining order, or domestic violence.”
That’s flat-out wrong. Here’s what Nevada actually requires for a concealed carry permit:
You must complete an eight-hour firearms safety training course. You must pass a qualifying shooting test at a gun range.
You must submit to a background check through the SCOPE system, which is Nevada’s point of contact system that accesses state and federal databases, including National Instant Criminal Background Check System(NICS.) You must be fingerprinted and pay fees. The process takes weeks, not minutes.
Concealed carry firearm permits are valid for 5 years from date of issuance. When carrying a concealed firearm, you must have your CCW permit and state identification. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, according to Las Vegas Metro Police.
But here’s the kicker. You don’t need any permit at all to open carry in Nevada. It’s completely legal to openly carry a handgun without any training, background check, or permit. So why is CNN’s analyst making up requirements about concealed carry when open carry requires nothing?
Governor Hochul Already Pushing Gun Grabs
New York Governor Kathy Hochul wasted no time using this tragedy to push for more federal gun control.
The New York governor said in a statement.
“New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation. We banned assault weapons. We strengthened our Red Flag Law. We closed dangerous loopholes. But our laws only go so far when an AR-15 can be obtained in a state with weak gun laws and brought into New York to commit mass murder.
The time to act is now. The American people are tired of thoughts and prayers. They deserve action. Congress must summon the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and finally pass a national assault weapons ban before more innocent lives are stolen.”
This is exactly the knee-jerk reaction we expected. Hochul admits New York already banned these rifles. She admits they have some of the strictest laws in the nation. But somehow the solution is more laws that criminals will ignore just like they ignored all the existing ones.
The “M4-Style” Nonsense Media Keeps Pushing
The media keeps calling Tamura’s weapon an “M4-style” or “M4 assault-style rifle.” This is either ignorance or deliberate deception. The rifle is a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 assault rifle in .223-caliber. It’s a civilian semi-automatic rifle, not a military M4.
An actual M4 is a selective-fire carbine used by the military. It can fire in full-auto or burst mode. Civilians can’t buy real M4s without extensive federal licensing that costs tens of thousands of dollars and takes months to process.
The AR-style gun retails for around $500. It’s a standard semi-automatic rifle that millions of Americans own legally. Calling it “M4-style” is like calling a Honda Civic “Formula One-style” because they both have four wheels.
The media does this deliberately to confuse people. They want you to think civilians are buying military weapons when they’re not. It’s pure propaganda designed to scare people who don’t know the difference.
What Nevada Laws Have to Do with New York (Spoiler: Nothing)
Here’s what the gun grabbers don’t want you to understand. New York does not honor any other states’ permits or licenses. Period. Full stop. Tamura’s Nevada permit was completely worthless the second he crossed into New York.
No handguns can be taken into the city unless New York City has validated your license. Even if you have a New York state permit, it’s not valid in New York City without special endorsement. The city has some of the strictest gun laws in America.
So what does Nevada’s permit system have to do with anything? Absolutely nothing. Tamura broke New York law the moment he brought any firearm into the city. He broke federal law by bringing a rifle to commit crimes. He broke every conceivable law about murder and assault.
The media wants to blame Nevada’s “lax” laws for what happened in New York. That’s like blaming Texas speed limits for a car crash in California. It makes no sense unless your goal is pushing gun control.
The Real Issue: Mental Health and System Failures
Tamura had two Mental Health Crisis Holds in his background in Nevada, one in 2022 and the other in 2024. He was taking prescribed medication found in his vehicle. Police confirmed he had a “documented mental health history” that Nevada shared with NYPD just two weeks ago.
But even with documented mental health problems and multiple crisis holds, Nevada still issued him a concealed carry permit in 2022. This raises serious questions about how mental health records are shared between agencies and whether our background check system is working properly.
According to one source, when there is this type of hold in Nevada, officers have to transport the person to the hospital. Once that happens, medical staff take over and decide how long to hold the person. They don’t update police so source isn’t sure how long Tamura was held either time.
The system failed. But the solution isn’t punishing millions of law-abiding gun owners. It’s fixing mental health reporting and making sure dangerous people can’t slip through the cracks.
The Vegas Connection and Football Tragedy
Tamura worked as a security guard at a Las Vegas casino and held a private investigator license. He completed high school in the Los Angeles area, where he was a competitive football player, playing running back at Granada Hills Charter High School. Multiple former teammates described him as a “goofball” and “great teammate” who never caused problems.
Investigators believe Tamura was trying to reach the NFL headquarters in the building but took the wrong elevator.
“From our preliminary investigation, he took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters,” Mayor Eric Adams told CBS Mornings. “Instead, it took him to Rudin Management, and that is where he carried out additional shootings and took the lives of additional employees.”
“Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” the shooter wrote, according to the source. “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.” His suicide note referenced former NFL player Terry Long, who died by suicide in 2005 after suffering from football-related brain injuries.
This tragedy shows the devastating effects of brain trauma and mental illness. But instead of addressing those real issues, politicians want to ban rifles that millions of Americans use safely every day.
What You Can Do Right Now
President Trump issued a statement supporting law enforcement’s investigation:
“I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence.
My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless the New York Police Department, and God Bless New York!”
Don’t let CNN and other media outlets lie about your state’s laws. Nevada’s system works fine. The problem is other states that don’t respect constitutional rights. Support national reciprocity so your rights don’t disappear at state lines.
Call out politicians who exploit tragedies to attack law-abiding gun owners. Push for better mental health resources without creating government gun owner databases. And remember that criminals don’t follow laws no matter how many we pass.
Oppose Hochul’s assault weapons ban push. Support constitutional carry in more states. And don’t let them use this Vegas man’s mental health crisis to punish innocent people.
Officer Didarul Islam died doing his job, protecting others. The 36-year-old father of two, with a third child on the way, was described as “a person of faith” who “believed in living out the life of a godly person”. Let’s honor his memory by fixing the real problems, not scapegoating Nevada gun owners for New York’s failures.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
