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Following the deadly shooting at 345 Park Avenue in New York City that claimed the lives of four innocent people, including NYPD officer Didarul Islam, the companies closest to the tragedy moved to support employees.
Private equity firm Blackstone announced the death of colleague Wesley LePatner in a memo to staff.
“We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue. Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed,” Blackstone wrote in a statement obtained by FOX Business.
The married mother of two young children served as Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and the Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), according to her company bio.
LePatner was gunned down as she was leaving the building after 6pm ET by killer Shane Tamura as he was entering and carrying an M4 assault rifle.
He drove cross-country from Nevada, entering New York City via New Jersey on Monday. Las Vegas law enforcement disclosed a history of mental illness.
Rudin Management, which owns 345 Park Avenue and a slew of other trophy buildings in New York, also lost a young worker after Tamura went to the 33rd floor by mistake, New York City Mayor Adams disclosed in interviews.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT 345 PARK AVENUE, BLACKSTONE AND RUBIN MANAGEMENT
“The Rudin family and everyone at our company are devastated by yesterday’s senseless tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and lost last night, including our cherished Rudin colleague, a brave New York City police officer, a beloved lobby security guard and an employee at a tenant firm,” the company said.
“We are grateful to the NYPD, FBI, EMS and multiple other emergency responders for their swift and courageous action. We also thank the Mayor and Police Commissioner for their leadership. The building will remain closed today as the authorities continue their investigations. As New Yorkers, we stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of this hatred, we grieve with the families and loved ones of those lost, and we pray for the full recovery of those injured.”
Rudin declined to name the victim, at the request of the family, a spokesperson told FOX Business.
Workers at the NFL, who operate out of the third floor, were told to work from home or take the day off, according to a memo from Commissioner Roger Goodell, who noted one employee remained hospitalized:
“NFL Employees,
As has been widely reported, a gunman committed an unspeakable act of violence in our building at 345 Park Avenue. One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack. He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition. NFL staff are at the hospital and we are supporting his family.
We believe that all of our employees are otherwise safe and accounted for, and the building has nearly been cleared.
We are deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded to this threat quickly and decisively and to Officer Islam, who gave his life to protect others.
Please continue to pay close attention to GSOC notices for all available emergency information. These communications allow us to ensure that you are safe.
As you know, there are significant resources available to all employees, including grief counselors. Shortly, HR will send you more information on the available resources and how to take advantage of them.
Those based in New York should work remotely tomorrow. It is understandable if you prefer to take the day off.
There will be an increased security presence at 345 Park Avenue in the days and weeks to come.
Every one of you is a valued member of the NFL family. We will get through this together.
Roger”
Tamura, a high school football player at Granada Hills Charter in Granada Hills, California, indicated he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, according to Mayor Adams and other reports, citing his suicide note left in the building.
A representative for KPMG, which counts the office tower as one of its Manhattan locations, told FOX Business, “I can confirm our 345 Park Avenue office is closed today and we are giving employees flexibility to work from home. Note, we have multiple offices in NYC.” No timing of the office re-opening has been determined as of Tuesday.
Additionally, KPMG CEO Tim Walsh and deputy chair Atif Zaim posted condolences on LinkedIn:
“Yesterday, there was a shooting at 345 Park Avenue in New York City at the building where KPMG has offices along with other companies.
Our hearts are with the victims of this horrific act and their families, as well as all of our neighbors in 345 Park. This was a terrible, tragic, and frightening event. We are incredibly grateful for the bravery of building security and law enforcement. At this time, we are not aware of any significant physical injuries to our KPMG colleagues.
To our team who were in 345 Park Avenue yesterday – thank you for your bravery, patience, and compassion in a time of crisis. You are the embodiment of our very special culture at KPMG. Please stay safe and support each other.”
A heavy police presence remained in Midtown outside the building on Tuesday.
FOX News’ Bradford Betz, Brooke Curto, Kyle Schmidbauer, Paul Mauro and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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