NFL Hall of Fame Game begins with moment of silence for victims of shooting at league’s NYC headquarters

The NFL’s preseason kicked off Thursday night under the shadow of a tragedy. A moment of silence was held before kickoff of the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, for the four people killed in a shooting Monday at the league’s headquarters in New York City. One NFL employee was wounded in the attack and is recovering.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not attend the game as he remained in New York to attend the funeral of NYPD officer Didarul Islam, one of the victims.

Goodell told NBC he spent an hour visiting the injured NFL employee on Wednesday and said the man is “stable and improving,” adding that he is optimistic about his recovery.

“It’s just heartbreaking for all of us. It’s devastating,” Goodell said. “An amazing young man, and so we’re optimistic about his recovery and I think that’s good news for all of us in the NFL and obviously our hearts continue to be in support with the family. I think it is something that is really hard for all of us to understand and to deal with.”

Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas. Police said Tamura opened fire in the building’s lobby and later on an upper floor before killing himself. 

Tamura reportedly struggled with mental illness and had previously disclosed suicidal thoughts, according to investigators. In a note recovered at the scene, he urged that his brain be examined for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative condition linked to repeated head trauma. The note also accused the NFL of prioritizing profit over player safety, alleging the league had long downplayed the risks of brain injury. Tamura, who played high school football, cited various books and documentaries that examine the connection between football-related head trauma and long-term neurological damage.

“It is a difficult thing, particularly when you are dealing with senseless acts like this,” Goodell said. “They’re hard for all of us to understand, when it inflicts pain on people you know and people you care about and people that we deal with on a daily basis, that’s particularly hard.

“As you know these acts of senseless violence and hatred are happening around our country and our world, far too often in schools and churches and synagogues and other places, this should just not be happening. But we all have to continue to be vigilant and do what we can to protect ourselves and the NFL’s going to do that with our employees and our people.”

The NFL closed its offices and told employees they could work remotely through at least the end of next week. A virtual town hall was held Wednesday to provide support and mental health resources.