CTE specialist to NFL shooter’s claim: You can’t self-diagnose CTE
Dr. Omalu rejects shooter’s excuse linking football to deadly rampage, saying CTE isn’t an explanation for violence or something to self-diagnose.
Following the tragic mass shooting outside the NFL’s New York City headquarters, shooter Shane Tamura claimed he was driven by brain damage from playing football - a statement that drew strong criticism from Dr. Bennet Omalu, the world’s leading expert on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Shane Tamura’s suicide note.
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) July 30, 2025
“Study my brain for CTE. The league (NFL) knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits. They failed us.”
He deliberately shot himself in the chest rather than the head. pic.twitter.com/kaG2xJO6wk
CTE expert: Football risks are real, but they don’t excuse murder
Tamura, 27, killed four people - Wesley LePatner (43); Didarul Islam (36); Aland Etienne (46); Julia Hyman (27) - and then himself, allegedly blaming the NFL for his mental deterioration, despite never playing professionally. NYC Mayor Eric Adams shared Tamura’s claim that football had “permanently injured” his brain.
CTE is caused from repeated trauma to the head and is commonly found in athletes who have suffered from multiple concussions.
Dr. Omalu, the forensic pathologist who first identified CTE and inspired the film “Concussion”, condemned the excuse. He stated that while CTE can result from playing football at any level, it is not an excuse for murder, and self-diagnosing is dangerous.
“CTE is not an excuse or justification whatsoever to become violent or kill anyone,” Omalu said. “I denounce and condemn that in the strongest terms possible.”
“The big question is, how did the shooter know he was suffering from CTE? Was that an assumption?” Omalu asked. “If you think you have symptoms of CTE, talk to a doctor. There are treatment plans. There is help.”
He emphasized that CTE symptoms such as mood swings, memory loss, and cognitive issues, should be evaluated by medical professionals - not used to rationalize extreme behavior. The investigation into Tamura’s motives is ongoing, but Omalu and other experts warn against conflating mental health issues with unverified medical claims.
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