Shane Devon Tamura, aged 27, committed a shooting in New York City, killing four individuals and injuring another before taking his own life. He legally obtained firearms despite having a history of mental health issues and being placed on psychiatric hold twice. The incident raises significant questions about the effectiveness of existing gun laws and whether mental health records are adequately integrated into background checks. The lack of comprehensive data sharing between state mental health systems and federal agencies contributes to these issues, highlighting gaps in the current system.
Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, killed four people at the 345 Park Avenue office building and injured another before he died by suicide, police said.
While public health experts continue to stress that the vast majority of people experiencing mental health challenges are not violent, questions remain about the details of Tamura's psychiatric holds and if they would have shown up in a background check.
The case underscores the wide gap in sharing mental health data with the federal government, an issue that can be attributed to inadequate funding to manage or require the data, as well as privacy issues.
Tamura had a documented mental health history, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and a previous run-in with law enforcement.
Collection
[
|
...
]