A National Football League employee injured in a mass shooting at a Midtown office building last year is suing New York City for $24 million, alleging that an off-duty NYPD detective's failure to act allowed the gunman to enter the building and carry out the attack.
Craig Clementi, who worked in the NFL's finance department, sustained severe injuries after being shot by Shane Tamura, 27, at 345 Park Avenue on July 28, 2025. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, claims that NYPD Detective Didarul Islam, who was working security at the building, failed to stop Tamura from entering and carrying out the shooting, which killed four other people, including Islam.
Tamura was observed on surveillance footage walking across the building's plaza with a large rifle shortly before the shooting began. The suit's notice of claim states that Detective Islam "failed to identify a visible impending security threat and took no action to thwart or mitigate said threat, including while the threat was in view for an extended period of time prior to the attack." According to the lawsuit, Islam breached a special duty to protect building occupants by not intervening as Tamura walked approximately 100 feet across the plaza with the assault rifle in plain sight.
Video evidence suggests that Islam's alleged inattentiveness allowed Tamura to enter the building undetected, without confrontation, and without warning to those inside. Clementi, who was shot at close range by Tamura, sustained a gunshot wound to his back. He was able to escape the building and call 911. He was hospitalized for 10 days, underwent surgery, and continues to experience pain and psychological trauma, including flashbacks and hypervigilance.
The lawsuit asserts that while Detective Islam was technically off-duty and working as private security, the city can still be held liable because his duties were within the city's control. The NYPD's "paid detail" program allows private entities to hire off-duty officers for security in uniform.
Detective Islam, a four-year veteran of the force, was praised by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch following the incident. He was a resident of the Bronx and assigned to the 47th Precinct.
Separately, the family of Julia Hyman, one of the four victims killed in the shooting, also intends to sue the city for $65 million, alleging a similar failure by police to stop the gunman. Tamura's motive for the attack is under investigation, but it is believed he may have intended to target the NFL offices. A suicide note left by Tamura referenced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition common in football players, and a post-mortem examination found evidence of CTE.