House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday called the New York City skyscraper shooting — where four people were killed, including a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer — “tragic and horrifying.”
“The murder of a brave New York City police officer and several innocent civilians is tragic and horrifying,” he said in a statement. “We mourn their loss and stand with their families during this time of need.”
“Our prayers and gratitude are also with those heroic law enforcement officers and first responders who put their lives on the line and selflessly rushed to the scene to save others,” Jeffries, whose congressional district encompasses parts of Brooklyn, added.
The gunman, identified as Shane Tamura, allegedly shot and killed four people at a Midtown office building that housed Blackstone and the NFL on Monday before taking his own life. Another person was also injured in the shooting.
One of the people killed, NYPD officer Didarul Islam, was with the police department for just over three years, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Islam immigrated from Bangladesh to the U.S. Islam was married and has two young children, per Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who added that his wife is pregnant with their third kid.
“He was doing what he does best and all members of the police department carry out. He was saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers,” Adams said during a press conference.
On Tuesday, the mayor ordered flags across the five boroughs to be placed at half-staff in honor of the victims.
Jeffries in his statement said mass shootings are a “plague.”
“The gun violence epidemic continues to afflict our country and now has shattered lives in our great City,” he said. “The time has come for decisive action.”
