While his wife was expecting their third child, the heroic NYPD officer who was shot and killed in Monday’s horrific shooting in Manhattan was working a second job in private security.
On Monday, a shooter carrying an M4 assault weapon was spotted close to a midtown Manhattan office building that contains the NFL and Blackstone asset management. The gunman shot Officer Didarul Islam, 36, in the back, killing him. Five people, including Islam, have died.
Islam is the father of two young boys and has been an officer since December 2021. His wife is expecting their third kid, and she is eight months along.
According to The New York Post, he was wearing an NYPD uniform on Monday night while working as a private security guard for Rudin Management Company. He frequently works in the 47th precinct of the Bronx.
During a news conference on Monday night, former NYPD officer and New York City Mayor Eric Adams was among the many people who paid their respects to Islam.
“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.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry described the loss as “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.”
After the news, EMS First also posted a tribute to Officer Islam.
“Tonight, a chair at the dinner table is left empty. Tonight, a family grieves a loss that cannot be measured. Tonight, a hero made the ultimate, selfless sacrifice in the line of duty,” it wrote on Instagram.
“Remember his name. Honor his service. Never forget his face.”
Officer Islam’s downstairs renter, Shueb Chowdhury, told the New York Times that he “couldn’t believe” the heroic police officer had passed away.
“I saw him this morning and 12 hours later he’s dead,” he said.
Officer Islam mentored young Bangladeshi men in his community, according to family friend Marjanul Karim, 31, who was excited for his friend to attend his wedding later this year.
“He wanted to support his family and be in a better position, and he fell in love with law enforcement while working security,” Mr Karim said.
“At the time, my mother told him, ‘You left a safe job working for a school in security, and being a cop is dangerous. Why did you do that? He told her he wanted to leave behind a legacy for his family, something they could be proud of.”
Salman Ahmed, the 21-year-old brother-in-law of Officer Islam, stated that he “loved his job” and felt secure in his role as a police officer.
In the middle of New York City, a guy with an M4 assault weapon opened fire in broad daylight, killing four people, including a police officer, before he allegedly committed suicide.
Fearsome security video footage showed the shooter carrying the big rifle on Monday close to a midtown Manhattan office building that houses the NFL and Blackstone asset management. He was dressed in a sport coat and button-down shirt.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the shooter as Las Vegas resident Shane Tamura, 27.
CNN reports that at approximately 6:30 p.m., with perhaps thirty individuals inside the lobby, Tamura opened fire while brandishing a silencer on his weapon. The gun also included a strap and a scope.
Blackstone’s offices are located in the building’s 33rd floor, where the gunman was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Commissioner Tisch stated in an update on X that the “lone shooter has been neutralized” and that the scene is “contained.”
Online videos showed officers wearing protective gear pulling their rifles as they entered the 365 Park Avenue building.
While some officers appeared to be caring for a person who was lying on the ground, other officers were seen transporting a victim in another video captured by Fox 5.
According to AMNY, two individuals—a male and a woman—were also arrested at the scene.
The woman had a cut on her head and the man allegedly said, “Free Palestine, I’m not the active shooter.”
“It sounded like a barrage of shots,” a witness told The New York Post. similar to a weapon that operates automatically. similar to a weapon with a large capacity.
A “guy came in with an assault rifle and started shooting,” according to another source who spoke to the newspaper.
Following his self-inflicted gunshot wound, the man was seen sprawled out on the office building floor in a startling photo.
The shooter, Tamura, was raised in Hawaii and participated in high school football.
Investigators were looking into whether he might have been targeting the NFL offices, sources told NBC News.
CNN reports that he began the attack in the office building lobby where he first engaged NYPD Officer Islam in gunfire.
After that, Tamura went to the 33rd story, where police were notified of gunfire. After that, the gunman was discovered dead from a gunshot wound he had caused himself.
“It appears that he knew it would be his last stand,” said CNN chief law enforcement analyst John Miller, a former NYPD deputy commissioner.
“He fully intended to shoot his way through the lobby and make his way to that target—whatever that might have been.”
DailyMail.com was able to receive a picture of the blood-stained weapon used in the killing.
KPMG, a financial company that has offices in the building, released a statement that said, “Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific act and their families. We are incredibly grateful for the bravery of building security and law enforcement.”
Agents are on the site, according to FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the situation, and New York Attorney General Letitia James said she is “praying for our law enforcement and the New Yorkers impacted in the shooting situation this evening in Manhattan.”
In addition, NYC Mayor Eric Adams showed up on the scene and announced that he would be going to the hospital.