Metropolitan Museum Trustee Killed in Midtown NYC Shooting

Wesley LePatner, a senior managing director at Blackstone and a recently appointed trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was among the four people killed during Monday’s deadly shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. She was 43. LePatner, a rising star in New York’s business and philanthropic communities, had joined the Met’s board in February and was already deeply involved in museum initiatives, serving on the investment committee and the visiting committee for European Paintings. She had planned to expand her involvement this fall to include the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department and support educational programming.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Met trustee Wesley LePatner, who was a brilliant and visionary leader, a generous spirit and a person of deep intellect and warmth,” said Max Hollein, the museum’s director and CEO, in a statement shared with The Art Newspaper. “Our hearts are with Wesley’s loved ones, especially her husband, Evan, their two children, and her parents, Ellyn and Lawrence.”

LePatner’s influence extended beyond the art world. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in history, she previously worked at Goldman Sachs before joining Blackstone in 2014. She also served on the boards of several Jewish organizations and was a member of Yale’s library council.

The LePatner family released a statement through The New York Times, remembering her as “the most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and relative, who enriched our lives in every way imaginable.” They added, “To so many others, she was a beloved, fiercely loyal and caring friend, and a driven and extraordinarily talented professional and colleague.”

The tragedy unfolded just after 6 p.m. when the shooter, identified by police as 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura of Las Vegas, entered the lobby of 345 Park Avenue, which houses the headquarters of Blackstone and the National Football League, as well as JP Morgan Chase. Tamura opened fire shortly after exiting a double-parked BMW, killing multiple people, including NYPD officer Didarul Islam, a father of two and off-duty security guard.

Surveillance footage showed Tamura riding the elevator to the 33rd floor – home to the offices of Rudin Management – where he fatally shot one person before retreating to the stairwell and killing himself with an assault rifle.

Authorities later found weapons and a note inside Tamura’s BMW and on his person. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Tamura claimed in the note that he believed he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease often linked to repeated head trauma. Police believe Tamura’s ultimate target may have been the NFL offices due to this perceived condition.

This mass shooting marks the 254th in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The deaths of LePatner and other victims – law enforcement and building personnel among them – have sent shock waves through cultural New York and corporate New York. The co-chairs of the Met’s board, Candace K. Beinecke and Hamilton E. James, characterized LePatner’s appointment at the Met as an important addition in their letters to the Membership; both relayed that she “has deep expertise and knowledge.”

A citywide investigation is still underway as officials try to put together Tamura’s thoughts and travels before arriving in New York, which included stops in Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and New Jersey.