Four people were killed in a shooting in New York on Monday. Investigations now reveal that the gunman apparently had his sights set on the NFL headquarters.

The gunman who killed four people in a shooting in an office building in Manhattan, New York, on Monday apparently intended to target the NFL headquarters in the building. This was announced by New York Mayor Eric Adams one day after the incident.

According to Adams, the shooter accidentally took the wrong elevator and only missed the football league’s offices because of this. After the attack, he killed himself. According to Adams, he was carrying a message that suggests the shooter suffered from the brain disease CTE.

This disease was the motive for his actions, and he blamed the NFL for his condition. However, according to reports, the shooter was never an NFL player, but had played football exclusively in high school a good two decades ago. In the note, he asked that his brain be scientifically examined after his death.

Goodell announces tighter security measures
On Monday, the attacker entered the lobby of the building and shot four people, including an off-duty police officer. An NFL employee was seriously injured.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that he was deeply saddened by the events and announced increased security measures for the coming days and weeks.

The act was “an unspeakable act of violence,” Goodell told US broadcaster CBS. In a statement, Goodell also said that an NFL employee had been seriously injured but was now in stable condition in hospital.

All other employees at the scene were unharmed.

“We are deeply grateful to the police officers who responded quickly and decisively to this threat, and to Officer Islam, who gave his life to protect others,” Goodell said. The commissioner assured his employees of “significant support” and said there would be “increased security presence” in the building “in the coming days and weeks.”

CTE, known in its long form as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disorder discovered only a few years ago that occurs as a result of repeated blows to the head, such as in contact sports like American football. However, a definitive diagnosis can only be made after the death of the affected person.

In the past, CTE has been associated primarily with former NFL players, prompting the league to introduce increasingly stringent rules to protect players in recent years. Among other things, the “Concussion Protocol” was introduced to ensure that players do not return to play after suffering a concussion.

The perpetrator apparently acted out of hatred for the football league. “He seemed to blame the NFL for his injuries,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.