A decorated NYPD officer was shot and killed Monday evening in a shocking Midtown Manhattan mass shooting. just days before his wife is expected to give birth to their third child.
Officer Didarul Islam, 36, a father of two and a devoted husband, was working a second job in private security when he was shot in the back and killed by a heavily armed gunman. The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. inside a high-rise office building at 365 Park Avenue that houses firms including Blackstone and the NFL.
Islam was one of five people killed in the attack. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, later died by suicide on the building’s 33rd floor, where Blackstone has its headquarters, according to CNN.
“He Died as He Lived: A Hero”
Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch honored Islam at an emotional press conference late Monday.
“He was doing what he does best, as all members of the police department do — he was saving lives,” Adams said. “He loved this city. He was a man of faith. He believed in living out the life of a godly person.”
Commissioner Tisch added, “He died as he lived — a hero. He put himself in harm’s way and made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Islam, originally from Bangladesh, had served with the NYPD for more than a decade. His death leaves behind his pregnant wife and two young sons, as well as a mourning department and community.
The Gunman and the Attack
The suspect, Shane Tamura, entered the building dressed in a sport coat and button-down shirt and was carrying an M4-style assault rifle equipped with a silencer, scope, and strap. Surveillance footage showed him walking calmly with the weapon moments before he opened fire inside the building lobby, which held roughly 30 people at the time.
Four people, including Officer Islam, were killed in the attack. Multiple others were injured before Tamura retreated to the upper floors and reportedly took his own life. The motive remains under investigation, but authorities say the building was not a random target.
Outpouring of Grief and Support
Tributes to Officer Islam poured in throughout the night. NYPD, EMS First, and public officials posted emotional messages on social media. One post read, “Tonight, a chair at the dinner table is left empty. A family grieves a loss that cannot be measured. A hero made the ultimate, selfless sacrifice.”
A memorial fund has been set up to support Islam’s family, who are now preparing to welcome a child without a father. His colleagues remember him as humble, courageous, and deeply committed to service.
“He was more than a cop. He was a protector, a father, and a friend to so many,” one fellow officer said.