Las Vegas police have released bodycam footage and 911 calls linked to Shane Tamura, the alleged Manhattan mass shooter, revealing his documented history of mental health episodes and arrests prior to the 2023 shooting. The materials include video of officers responding to a mental health breakdown at Tamura’s apartment as well as an arrest at a local casino. The footage shows Tamura repeatedly asking police why he was being arrested, with officers losing patience after explaining the circumstances multiple times. Tamura, 27, went on a shooting spree at the 345 Park Avenue office building, killing an NYPD officer, a security guard, and two executives before turning the weapon on himself.
In a September 2023 incident, Tamura refused to leave the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, leading to his arrest. He was gambling at the casino and refused to show identification after winning money. The video shows Tamura sitting in a security room with his hands cuffed, repeatedly asking police whether he was being arrested and why. Police could be seen losing their patience with Tamura after explaining the circumstances several times and his delay in providing his name. "Do you want to just go to jail and be done with this? Iād rather not arrest you, sir," the officer said.
In a November 2024 incident, first responders entered Tamura’s apartment for a health evaluation after his mother called 911 to warn police that her son was suicidal. The first responders said they would initiate a L2K, or a legal 2000, an admission that sends a person suffering from a mental health episode to a psychiatric facility. After gathering his belongings and leaving the apartment, Tamura got onto a gurney and was taken away by first responders.
Meanwhile, in another video from May 2023, police pulled Tamura over at a traffic stop for not having a rear license plate on his black BMW sedan. After running his details, police discovered that his license had been canceled, and his registration had expired. They then instructed him to park his car as they were confiscating it. Tamura could be seen apologizing to police and following their instructions.
In a 2022 9/11 call, a family member called police to report that Tamura was threatening to take his own life. The dispatcher asked, "Did he say how he wanted to hurt himself?" and the woman replied, "He has a gun, he keeps it locked in a backpack."