Who Was Didarul Islam? Hero NYPD Cop Shot and Killed by Gunman Shane Tamura Was Loving Dad of Two Whose Wife Is Eight Months Pregnant

The hero NYPD officer who was shot and killed during Monday’s mass shooting in Manhattan had been working a second job as a private security guard while his wife was pregnant with their third child.

Officer Didarul Islam, 36, was shot in the back and killed by a gunman armed with an M4 assault rifle near a Midtown Manhattan office tower that is home to Blackstone asset management and the NFL. A total of five people, including Islam, lost their lives in the attack. Islam, who joined the force in December 2021, was the father of two young sons. His wife is currently eight months pregnant with their third child.

Killed in the Line of Duty

Islam was working a private security shift for Rudin Management Company on Monday night, despite wearing his NYPD uniform, according to The New York Post. He regularly works in the 47th precinct in the Bronx.

Tributes started pouring in for Islam on Monday evening, including a heartfelt statement from former NYPD officer and current New York City Mayor Eric Adams during a press conference. “He was doing what he does best, as all members of the police department carry out he was saving lives,” Adams said.

“He was protecting New Yorkers. He’s an immigrant from Bangladesh, and he loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that Islam “died as he lived: a hero.” “He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way, he made the ultimate sacrifice — shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to the city,” Tisch added.

“I want to extend my profound sympathies to all of the victims and their families and to the brave NYPD cops who today lost a brother,” she added.

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, described the officer’s death as heartbreaking and “devastating.”

“He was a hardworking police officer who was proud we know from hearing from his family to put on that uniform and shield of a New York City police officer,” Hendry said.

“Every day, he went out and did his job, and he went out every single day to provide for his family, whether it was overtime or whatever he had to do to provide for this family.”

Midtown Mayhem

A shooter armed with an M4 assault rifle killed four people—including a police officer—after opening fire in broad daylight in the center of New York City, before reportedly turning the gun on himself.

Chilling surveillance images captured the gunman on Monday dressed in a button-down shirt and sport coat, carrying the large weapon near a Midtown Manhattan office building that is home to Blackstone asset management and the NFL.

The gunman was later identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas.

Tamura was a former high school football player with a documented history of mental health struggles. According to sources, officials found a vehicle at the scene with Nevada license plates that was registered to Tamura.

Tamura traveled across the country before carrying out the attack, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, said. CNN reported that Tamura had a silencer attached to his rifle when he began shooting in the lobby around 6:30 p.m. The weapon was also equipped with a scope and a strap.

Tamura was later found dead on the 33rd floor—home to Blackstone’s headquarters—after taking his own life with a gunshot.

Videos posted online showed officers in tactical gear entering the building with weapons drawn. Another clip, shared by Fox 5, captured several officers carrying an injured person while others appeared to be assisting someone lying on the floor.

Tisch said in a social media post that authorities believe Tamura acted on his own.

Witnesses recounted scenes of widespread panic as shots rang out. “I was at work and this guy came in with an assault rifle and started shooting,” one man said. “I was in the lobby at work.”

Jessica Chen, who was on the second floor of the 44-story skyscraper, said she was attending a presentation with around 150 others when the gunfire began.

“We heard multiple shots go off in quick succession from the first floor, and a lot of us just rushed into the room,” Chen told ABC News.