Sunday, August 31, 2025
HomeNEWSHigh-flying female Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, 43, named as second victim of...

High-flying female Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, 43, named as second victim of NYC shooting


A female Blackstone executive has been named as the second victim of a Midtown Manhattan shooting that saw four people murdered. 

Wesley LePatner, a 43 year-old senior managing director at the investment giant, was gunned down by Shane Tamura, 27, at Blackstone’s New York headquarters at 345 Park Avenue Monday evening. 

LePatner was a married mother of two. Her husband Evan works at private equity firm Courizon, with the couple and their children sharing a $7 million apartment on New York’s Upper East Side. 

Three others – NYPD officer Didarul Islam, security guard Aland Etienne and Rudin firm employee Julia Hyman – were also killed when a gunman identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura walked into 345 Park Avenue and opened fire in the lobby.

Tamura also shot dead a second unnamed security guard who tried to take cover behind a security desk.

LePatner, a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was a rising star in her industry. She oversaw businesses with more than $140 billion in assets for Blackstone, where she had worked since 2014. 

She grew up in New York City with prominent attorney parents and previously worked at Goldman Sachs, after graduating from Yale University.

LePatner was killed in the lobby as she tried to hide behind a pillar, according to the Wall Street Journal which reported that other Blackstone employees are in the hospital receiving treatment.

Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed in a mass shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday

Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed in a mass shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday

LePatner is seen with her husband Evan LePatner and their two children in January, 2018

LePatner is seen with her husband Evan LePatner and their two children in January, 2018

LePatner oversaw businesses with more than $140 billion in assets for Blackstone, where she had worked since 2014

LePatner oversaw businesses with more than $140 billion in assets for Blackstone, where she had worked since 2014

Shane Tamura, 27, was caught on chilling surveillance footage wearing a sport coat and button-down shirt while carrying a large M4 assault rifle into the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan Monday evening

Shane Tamura, 27, was caught on chilling surveillance footage wearing a sport coat and button-down shirt while carrying a large M4 assault rifle into the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan Monday evening

‘Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed,” the company said in a statement.

‘She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family. We are also saddened by the loss of the other innocent victims as well, including brave security personnel and N.Y.P.D.’

LePatner often spoke about her family when she discussed her career; Earlier this year she posted about Blackstone’s ‘Take Your Kids to Work Day,’ writing: ‘So grateful to Blackstone for hosting a fantastic “Take Your Kids to Work Day” last week, giving my son and others in the next generation the opportunity to learn about the amazing work happening at 345 Park. 

‘Accompanying my own parents to their offices back in the ‘90s is a core memory of mine – watching them seamlessly balance demanding professional careers with our family life was truly inspiring and showed me that anything is possible with dedication and determination.’

In 2023, LePatner shared how her husband helped her manage family and work life; The two married in 2006 after meeting during their freshman year at Yale.

‘I couldn’t do any of it without my husband, who has an equally demanding career, and those same parents who inspired me to start on the journey in the first place,’ she wrote. 

The Real Deal editor Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt posted a tribute for DePatner, writing: ‘Broken. Our dear friend, mentor, community member & builder Wesley LePatner was killed in yesterday’s shooting. Daughter, wife, mother, leader in so many ways. The kindest & sharpest human being. A nightmare that we can’t wake up from. No words. Holding her family in our aching hearts.’ 

LePatner married her husband Evan in 2006, after meeting during their freshman year at Yale University

LePatner married her husband Evan in 2006, after meeting during their freshman year at Yale University 

The Blackstone executive lived with her husband and two children in a $7million in Manhattan

The Blackstone executive lived with her husband and two children in a $7million in Manhattan

Tamura killed three people in the lobby of the skyscraper -including NYPD officer Didarul Islam, a 36 year-old father of two

Tamura killed three people in the lobby of the skyscraper -including NYPD officer Didarul Islam, a 36 year-old father of two

Julia Rudin was killed in her office on Monday afternoon after gunman Shane Tamura burst in with an M4 rifle

Julia Rudin was killed in her office on Monday afternoon after gunman Shane Tamura burst in with an M4 rifle 

It comes as officials revealed NYPD officer Islam, 36, was an immigrant from Bangladesh who had served as a police officer in New York City for 3 1/2 years, Tisch said at a news conference. 

He was one of two NYPD officers working paid detail at the building. 

‘He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,’ Tisch said. ‘He died as he lived. A hero.’

The other two victims have yet to be identified. 

The shooting took place at a skyscraper that is home to the headquarters of both the NFL and Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment firms, as well as other tenants.

After spraying bullets in the lobby, the gunman took the elevator to the 33rd floor, where real-estate management firm Rudin Management is based, and killed another person – a woman – before turning the gun on himself. 

The Rudin family – a New York real estate dynasty – owns the building. 

Officials believe the shooter was targeting the NFL offices but got on the wrong elevator and ended up on the 33rd floor.

One man was seriously wounded and remains in critical condition, Mayor Eric Adams said. Four others got minor injuries attempting to flee. 

‘We lost four souls to another senseless act of gun violence,’ said Mayor Adams.

Those who were trapped inside the building barricaded the doors to prevent Tamura from entering

Those who were trapped inside the building barricaded the doors to prevent Tamura from entering

The skyscraper in midtown Manhattan (pictured) houses the headquarters for the National Football League on the fifth floor

The skyscraper in midtown Manhattan (pictured) houses the headquarters for the National Football League on the fifth floor

Heavily-armed officers were seen rushing into the skyscraper following the shooting

Heavily-armed officers were seen rushing into the skyscraper following the shooting

The gunman had a ‘documented mental health history,’ according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, but his motive was still unknown. 

The rampage happened at the end of the workday in the same part of Manhattan where the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down outside a hotel late last year. 

Tamura’s motive for the massacre remains unclear as of Tuesday morning. 

However he was found with a letter on his body indicating he had grievances with the NFL and its handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after the rampage at 345 Park Avenue. 

‘Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,’ Tamura wrote, according to CNN. ‘You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.’

The shooter was referring to former Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Long, who committed suicide by drinking antifreeze in 2006 after suffering from CTE.

‘Study my brain please I’m sorry Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything,’ the note read.

Blackstone employees shared messages during the rampage saying there was a shooter in the lobby and warning not to go downstairs, an employee told the WSJ. 

Some started barricading themselves in their offices and bathrooms. 

Officers located the bloodied rifle Tamura used, which was found lying on the carpet of the office where the killer took his own life

Officers located the bloodied rifle Tamura used, which was found lying on the carpet of the office where the killer took his own life 

One of those injured is an NFL employee, commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to staff. The employee was reportedly seriously injured but is in stable condition at the hospital. 

Surveillance video showed the man exiting a double-parked BMW just before 6.30pm carrying an M4 rifle, then marching across a public plaza into the building. Then, he started firing.

Tisch said an initial investigation shows the gunman’s vehicle traveled across the country, passing through Colorado on July 26, then Nebraska and Iowa on July 27.

The car was in Columbia, New Jersey, as recently as 4.24pm Monday. He drove into New York City shortly thereafter, she said. 

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments