Large-scale police operation in Manhattan: A man runs into a high-rise building with a gun.

A man in New York shot at least four people in a Manhattan skyscraper and then killed himself. Mayor Eric Adams called it a "senseless act of violence" and said the circumstances are still under investigation. Among the dead was a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer. The perpetrator reportedly had a history of mental illness.

According to NYPD Chief Jessica Tisch, surveillance videos showed the gunman getting out of a car on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan on Monday evening and walking toward the office building. Armed with an assault rifle, he entered the building and immediately opened fire.

He killed the police officer who was in the lobby. According to Police Chief Tisch, he then shot a woman who had sought shelter behind a pillar and a security guard behind the reception desk. The gunman reportedly let a woman exiting an elevator pass unchallenged before going to the 33rd floor, killing another person, and finally shooting himself. Several people were also injured, some seriously.

According to Tisch, the perpetrator is a 27-year-old from the desert metropolis of Las Vegas. His vehicle was registered in Nevada and contained several weapons, ammunition, and personal items. According to investigations, the man had traveled across the United States in the days before the crime, most recently through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and New Jersey before reaching New York. Tisch said the man has a documented history of mental illness. However, his motive is still unclear. Police believe the perpetrator acted alone.

The high-rise in downtown Manhattan houses offices of the investment firm Blackstone and the National Football League (NFL), among others. Why the perpetrator targeted this particular building remained unclear at first. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X that the FBI was assisting with the investigation.