CNN anchor Erin Burnett faces mounting criticism after describing New York City mass shooter Shane Tamura as “possibly white” during a live broadcast Monday evening, July 28, contradicting initial police reports that suggested the gunman might be of Middle Eastern descent.
During her Monday evening CNN segment, Burnett reported that police had described the shooter as having “sunglasses, mustache, male, possibly white” based on initial surveillance footage. The shooting occurred around 6:28 p.m. at 345 Park Avenue. This Manhattan high-rise is home to offices for companies such as Blackstone and the NFL, as well as other prominent organizations.
The images showed 27-year-old Shane Tamura dressed in a suit and carrying an AR-15-style rifle as he entered the building. However, viewers noted that Tamura appeared to have a darker or ethnically ambiguous complexion in the surveillance footage, leading to swift backlash on social media platforms.
Early NYPD communications had actually considered the possibility that the gunman might be of Middle Eastern descent, directly contradicting Burnett’s on-air assessment. The discrepancy between the anchor’s description and official police reports fueled criticism about media responsibility in real-time news coverage.
Social media users quickly responded to Burnett’s comment with criticism. One viral post stated, “He may be a bunch of different things, basically anything BUT white.” Another user criticized CNN more broadly, writing that the network “should be shut down” and claiming they had not “reported a truthful story in what seems like forever.”
The shooting resulted in four deaths, including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, two civilians, and a private security guard. Wesley LePatner, 43, was a Blackstone real estate executive and mother. Aland Etienne, 46, was a building security officer killed during the rampage. Julia Hyman, 27, worked for Rudin Management as an associate and was a Cornell graduate. She was fatally shot on the 33rd floor.
A fifth person was critically injured — reportedly an NFL employee — but not named publicly.
According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Tamura exited a black BMW and entered the skyscraper lobby with his rifle, immediately shooting Islam before killing three other victims.
Tamura, who lived in Las Vegas, traveled across the country, passing through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and New Jersey before reaching Manhattan. His vehicle contained a revolver, multiple magazines, and additional ammunition. Authorities confirmed he had a documented mental health history and possessed a concealed weapon permit issued in Nevada weeks before the shooting.
During the rampage, surveillance footage captured Tamura allowing a woman to leave an elevator unharmed before continuing to the 33rd floor, where he shot and killed another person before taking his own life. Police discovered a suicide note in his possession, in which he blamed chronic traumatic encephalopathy for his deteriorating mental state and asked for his brain to be studied.
The 27-year-old gunman had previously played high school football at Granada Hills Charter in California and worked as a casino security guard. His suicide note referenced the NFL and expressed grievances related to his perceived brain injuries from football.
The controversy surrounding Burnett’s comment has reignited broader debates about how news outlets handle racial identification in breaking news situations. Critics argue that making racial assumptions based on unclear surveillance footage can fuel misinformation and reinforce biases, particularly when those assumptions contradict official law enforcement descriptions.
Some commenters defended Burnett, noting that she was reporting in real-time based on limited information and early police descriptions. However, others maintained that major news outlets should exercise greater caution when visual evidence and official statements diverge, especially in high-profile violent incidents.
The incident also impacted the families of the victims. Officer Islam’s father suffered a stroke upon learning of his son’s death, while Islam’s pregnant wife was hospitalized by police Tuesday morning. Islam, a 36-year-old father of two who had served with the NYPD for more than three years, was originally from Bangladesh and had moved to the United States seeking better opportunities.
As of Tuesday, CNN has not issued an official statement addressing Burnett’s comment or the resulting controversy. The network continues its coverage of the shooting aftermath, but the incident has raised questions about editorial standards and fact-checking procedures in live breaking news situations.
The shooting marked one of the deadliest mass shootings in New York City in 25 years, occurring during evening rush hour and prompting a large emergency response including NYPD bomb squad units, drone teams, and heavily armed officers. Multiple ambulances and helicopters were deployed to the scene as the situation unfolded.