Cornell Student Killed in NY Shooting Due to Gunman's Elevator Error

Tragic Incident at New York Skyscraper

A tragic incident occurred in New York City, where 27-year-old Ivy League graduate Julia Hyman was killed after a mix-up by the shooter led him to the wrong elevator. The event unfolded on Monday, sending shockwaves through the community and raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Shane Tamura, the individual responsible for the shooting, had initially intended to target the NFL offices located inside the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan. However, he took a wrong turn and ended up on a completely different floor of the building. This mistake resulted in the tragic death of Hyman, who was working at Rudin Management, a prominent real estate company.

Background on Julia Hyman

Julia Hyman, a native of Manhattan, graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in 2020. She joined Rudin Management as an associate in November 2024, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her career at the company lasted less than nine months when the shooting occurred.

The impact of her death has been deeply felt by her colleagues and the broader community. A representative from Rudin Management expressed their devastation in a statement released on Tuesday. They mentioned that they were thinking of those injured and lost during the tragedy, including Hyman, a brave NYPD officer, a beloved lobby security guard, and an employee at a tenant firm.

The Shooter's Mistake

According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a preliminary investigation indicated that the gunman had taken the wrong elevator bank while attempting to reach the NFL headquarters. Instead, he ended up on the 33rd floor of Rudin Management’s building, where he encountered and tragically killed Hyman. The mayor emphasized that the shooter carried out additional shootings, resulting in more lives being lost.

Reactions from Educational Institutions

Cornell University President Michael I. Kotlikoff expressed his condolences over the loss of Hyman, whose sister also attended the university. He stated that the university was devastated for Julia’s friends and family, including her parents and sister Ali. Kotlikoff noted that Hyman had recently returned to campus for her class’s five-year reunion earlier this summer.

Hyman graduated from Cornell with honors, earning a degree in hotel and restaurant administration and a minor in real estate. Her achievements and contributions to her field were widely recognized.

Community Response and Tributes

Jewish groups also paid tribute to Hyman on social media. The podcast network Living Lchaim posted on X, mourning “a proud young Jewish woman.” The post highlighted her Jewish pride and the beautiful life she was creating, expressing hope that her memory would serve as a blessing and inspiration to others.

The Shooter’s Motive and Claims

Tamura, who traveled from Las Vegas to carry out the shooting, was found with a three-page note in which he claimed to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to his days playing high school football. CTE is a brain injury caused by repeated head trauma. In his note, Tamura blamed the NFL for failing to protect players from brain injuries, even though he never went on to play professional football.

Tamura’s football coach, Walter Roby, told The New York Post that the worst injury he could recall Tamura sustaining during high school was an ankle injury that might have kept him out of one game. Despite this, Tamura still criticized the NFL in his note, writing that “you can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”

Other Victims of the Shooting

In addition to Hyman, other victims of the shooting included security officer Aland Etienne, off-duty NYPD officer Didarul Islam, and Blackstone employee Wesley LePatner. The NYPD has not yet provided a comment on the incident, and The Daily Beast has reached out for further information.