The gunman who opened fire on a New York City office building last month had two “unresolved” background checks when he purchased the gun used to perpetrate the shooting, according to 8 News Now.
The Nevada Point of Contact Firearms Program ran two background checks on Shane Tamura in March 2022 and October 2024, respectively, and both checks were “unresolved,” 8 News Now reported. An “unresolved” background check means the program “was unable to reach a deny or proceed decision,” the outlet indicated, citing an official.
Although the background checks were “unresolved,” under federal law, a firearm can be transferred after three days “at the discretion of the license holder,” the same official said. The program conducts research for 90 days in order to reach a deny or proceed decision. Around two to three percent of all background checks are marked “unresolved,” according to 8 News Now, which cited data from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).
NYC Midtown shooter Shane Tamura had 2 ‘unresolved’ background checks in Nevada prior to deadly rampage: report https://t.co/yxTgUMvEvR pic.twitter.com/54aCVVulID
— New York Post (@nypost) August 12, 2025
Tamura was taken into custody by the LVMPD in 2022 and 2024 for incidents involving threats of suicide. He received his concealed carry permit in 2022, 8 News Now reported. During the 2022 incident, a family member purportedly called 911 and informed dispatchers Tamura was threatening to take his own life and that he had a gun, according to Fox News. The family member claimed Tamura kept the gun “locked in a backpack.”
During the 2024 incident, Tamura’s mother called emergency services and warned dispatchers her son was suicidal, prompting them to perform a health evaluation at his apartment and initiate a Legal 2000 admission to a psychiatric facility, Fox News reported.
Tamura was also arrested twice in 2023, once for refusing to leave a casino where he’d been gambling and would not show identification after winning money, and once for not having a rear license plate on his car, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Father Of Slain NY Police Officer Had Stroke Upon Learning Of Son’s Death)
Despite his history of mental health issues, Tamura did not lose access to his concealed carry weapon, according to 8 News Now. He purchased the rifle he used in the Manhattan shooting from his supervisor at the Horsehoe Las Vegas in October 2024 under the supervision of a gun store.
Tamura allegedly opened fire on the office building at 345 Park Avenue in July, shooting and killing multiple people, including a police officer before turning the gun on himself. The gunman, who is believed to have targeted the National Football League (NFL) headquarters, reportedly left a note asking for his brain to be studied.
Tamura played high school football but has no apparent link to the NFL. Police also did not find any evidence suggesting he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition that is common among football players.
The Daily Caller contacted the Nevada Department of Public Safety for comment, which instructed the Caller to complete a public records request.