CNN News reported just one hour ago that a survivor of the horrific Midtown Manhattan shooting has come forward with chilling details about the moment the gunman ambushed her, revealing an unsettling twist: the shooter vanished into what appears to be a “secret room” inside the building — raising more questions about premeditation and motive.
The incident, which occurred around 11:00 AM inside a 44-story commercial tower on Lexington Avenue, left five people dead and several others injured. The building, home to corporate offices, media production units, and private suites, has become the center of an intensive NYPD investigation.
The survivor, who has asked to remain anonymous for her safety, described the harrowing moment when the gunman, now identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, lunged at her just seconds before chaos broke out.
“I didn’t even see him coming,” she told CNN through tears. “He jumped on me so suddenly that I lost my balance and hit the floor hard. I was dazed for a second, and when I looked up… he wasn’t there anymore. He had run straight to this unmarked door near the break room and just disappeared. I didn’t even know that door existed.”
Security footage appears to confirm her account. Investigators say Tamura briefly engaged with a small group of people in a hallway before forcing his way into what officials are now calling a “hidden maintenance corridor” that is not shown on any official floor plans accessible to tenants. Sources say the space may have been used for unauthorized storage, potentially even as a hideout or staging area.
One law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said, “This wasn’t random. The suspect knew this building. The way he moved through it, how he accessed certain areas… he was either very familiar with the layout or someone gave him intel. This hidden room is going to be a major piece of the puzzle.”
The idea that the gunman had a secluded location to regroup mid-attack has alarmed both investigators and the public. Experts now fear the assault may have been planned for weeks, if not longer.
Back at the scene, the survivor was helped to safety by two coworkers who had taken shelter in a stairwell. She sustained bruises and minor scrapes from the fall but avoided the gunfire that killed several others on the floor, including a longtime office manager and an NYPD officer who was responding to a panic alarm.
“I keep thinking — what if I had been a step slower? What if he hadn’t gone into that room?” she whispered. “I saw his eyes. He wasn’t panicking. He was calm. Too calm.”
As the investigation unfolds, detectives are focusing on Tamura’s background. Early information suggests he had no official connection to the companies in the building, though unverified reports claim he may have once worked as a subcontractor for a delivery service in the area. His motives remain unknown, and no manifesto or digital trail has yet been made public.
In a press conference earlier today, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said the discovery of the secret room was “disturbing” and warned that the full scope of Tamura’s intentions might extend beyond this single incident.
“This was not an act of spontaneous rage,” Caban stated. “It was deliberate, targeted, and terrifyingly efficient. We are treating this as a mass casualty event with deeper implications.”
He declined to say whether investigators believe others may have been involved in helping Tamura prepare the attack.
The survivor, now recovering at home with family, says the emotional damage is far worse than the physical injuries.
“I keep replaying it in my mind. His weight hitting me, the thud of my body against the floor, the silence that followed before the first shot rang out. I don’t know if I’ll ever walk into an office building without flinching again.”
Local officials have begun discussions about reviewing building security standards, especially in high-occupancy structures that house media and corporate personnel. In the meantime, grief counselors and trauma specialists have been dispatched to assist survivors, witnesses, and families of the victims.
As flowers pile up outside the building and candlelight vigils are planned for tonight, a city is once again left grappling with violence that feels both senseless and disturbingly calculated.
This is a developing story. More details will follow as the NYPD and FBI continue their investigation into what happened behind the hidden door — and what else might be hiding there.
