Inside 345 Park Avenue when a mass killer arrived

A gunman opened fire Monday evening inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, killing four people and injuring others before taking his own life.

The attack took place at 345 Park Avenue, a 44-story tower that houses major companies, including the National Football League. The building spans an entire city block between 51st and 52nd Streets, from Park to Lexington Avenues.

The gunman parked a black BMW sedan along the street. Witnesses say he calmly approached the entrance, wearing sunglasses and holding an assault-style rifle. He walked across the shaded plaza and into the glass-fronted lobby.

“It’s clear he wasn’t trying to hide,” said retired NYPD Capt. John Monaghan. “He intended to kill and knew he might die too.”

The shooter opened fire at 6:28 p.m. Security footage showed him shoot a uniformed NYPD officer in the back. That officer, Didarul Islam, was working an overtime security shift.

He continued firing at others in the lobby, killing building guard Aland Etienne as he tried to trigger an alarm. A woman behind a pillar was also shot, along with another man who escaped the building with injuries.

According to authorities, the shooter carried a loaded revolver, ammunition, and medications. Photos revealed a backpack and rifle case left behind in his car.

Etienne was described as “a New York hero” by his union, 32BJ SEIU. “Their contributions to our city are essential,” said union President Manny Pastreich.

The attacker moved to the elevators, allowing one woman to exit unharmed before riding to the 33rd floor. Although he may have targeted the NFL offices, the elevator he used didn’t serve those floors.

There, in the offices of Rudin Management, he continued his attack. He shot and killed Julia Hyman, a company employee and 2020 Cornell graduate. Her former dean, Kate Walsh, called her “an extraordinary student.”

As panic spread, workers on upper floors barricaded themselves inside offices with furniture. Emergency calls flooded 911. Helicopters hovered above the area.

Outside, NYPD officers rushed toward the building. Streets filled with terrified workers running past food vendors and subway entrances, hands raised, seeking safety.

On the 33rd floor, the gunman ended the spree by shooting himself in the chest.

The final toll: four victims and the shooter dead, another man seriously injured. Authorities called it the worst gun attack in New York City in 25 years.

Among the victims was Wesley LePatner, a senior managing director at Blackstone and a board member of several institutions. She leaves behind a husband and children.

“Wesley was extraordinary in every way — personally, professionally, and philanthropically,” said the UJA-Federation of New York in a statement.

As the investigation continues, city leaders mourn those lost and call for renewed attention to gun violence.

Islam, the fallen officer, was honored at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Colleagues stood silently as his body, draped in an NYPD flag, was placed in an ambulance.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Islam was a father of two, with another baby on the way. “He made the ultimate sacrifice,” she said. “He died as he lived, a hero.”

By Tuesday morning, workers were kept away from 345 Park. The U.S. and state flags waved at half-staff. A small memorial began to form outside the building.

Flowers were left in the railing, along with a single yellow balloon. A handwritten note said, “Love one another!”

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