Gunman kills at least 5, self at NYC tower housing Blackstone, NFL offices

By Myles Miller and Dawn Lim

 

An armed shooter attacked 345 Park Ave. in Manhattan, the tower housing Blackstone Inc.’s global headquarters and the National Football League among others, killing at least five people, according to a city official. 

The suspected shooter is dead, three officials said. Victims include at least one police officer. At least two other people died at the tower.

 

The gunman was found dead on the 33rd floor. Blackstone occupies that floor, according to multiple people who’ve worked for the firm. Its staff on the 32nd floor pushed furniture in front of doors to barricade themselves in during the attack, employees said. 

The incident set off a chaotic scene in Midtown Manhattan, with scores of police cars cordoning off the area and a helicopter overhead. A man had been seen entering the skyscraper with a bulletproof vest and an assault rifle, according to the New York Post.

 

Officials advised people to avoid the area, warning of police activity, road closures and traffic delays near Park Avenue and 53rd Street, according to an alert sent through the city’s emergency notification system. 

 

“Please take proper safety precautions if you are in vicinity and do not go outside if you are near Park Avenue and East 51st Street,” Mayor Eric Adams posted on X.

 

Blackstone offices were evacuated, according to an official on the scene. A company representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The firm is the world’s largest alternative asset manager and employed almost 5,000 people at the end of last year.