Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A one-page note found in the pocket of the man who opened fire in a New York office on Monday claimed he suffered from CTE — or chronic traumatic encephalopathy — and appeared to be targeting the NFL headquarters, according to reporting from national outlets.
According to ABC News, Shane Tamura, 27, fatally shot and killed four people — including a New York police officer — and injured another at the building on Monday that houses the NFL’s headquarters.
Tamura played high school football and had a three-page note in his pocket accusing the NFL of hiding the dangers of playing football to boost profits. Tamura claimed in the note that he suffered from CTE due to playing football and asked that his brain be studied. The Chief Medical Examiner from the New York City Office said Tamura’s brain will be examined as part of his autopsy.
While Tamura never played professionally, a 2023 study from the National Institute of Health found that the pathology of CTE starts early, with CTE being reported in people as young as 17. The study examined 152 brains from contact sports players who died before reaching 30. Of those brains, more than 40% had CTE.
In high school sports, more than two out of three concussions result from collisions among athletes. CDC data from a 2024 study shows contact sports — which includes football, basketball and soccer — are associated with 45% of all sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries for children ages 17 and younger.
The two sports with the highest concussion rates included tackle football and girls soccer, with the concussion rates in girls soccer being even higher than boys soccer, ice hockey, wrestling and lacrosse.
Tackling was responsible for 63% of high school football concussions, while roughly a third of concussions suffered during girls soccer were the result of heading.
According to the University of Kansas Health System, the U.S. Soccer Concussion Initiative recommends limiting children 10 years old and younger from hitting a soccer ball with their head. U.S. club soccer gives a lists of rules on its website.
According to Dr. Carolyn Quinsey, a neurosurgeon at MU Health Care, many young athletes return to sports too soon, unaware that high-level brain functions—like balance and hand-eye coordination—are still affected. Symptoms such as headaches often resurface during play, signaling unresolved issues that can be treated more effectively with early identification and targeted therapy.
“Concussions are a little bit like snowflakes,” Quinsey said. “There aren’t any two that are perfectly alike. And so it’s important to keep that in mind that we tailor the treatment to the patient itself and then how their symptoms are. So probably the biggest guideline I can give you is that no one should be returning to full physical or mental activity if they’re still having symptoms.”
The Missouri State High School Activities Association has a five-step policy for an athlete to return to the field after a concussion after being cleared for progression by a neuropsychologist.
The five steps include:
Step 1: Light cardiovascular exercise.
Step 2: Running in the gym or on the field. No helmet or other equipment.
Step 3: Noncontact training drills in full equipment. Weight training can begin.
Step 4: Full, normal practice or training (a walk-through practice does not count as a full, normal practice).
Step 5: Full participation. Must be cleared by MD/DO/PAC/LAT/ARNP/Neuropsychologist before returning to play.
However, that progression is determined on a case-by-case basis according to each school’s policies and procedures.
During the past decade, some high schools across the state have introduced safety measures in football, including tackling rings to improve form and soft-shell helmet covers designed to provide added protection during practice. But the CDC warns that there is no “concussion-proof helmet.”
Suffering multiple concussions can result in permanent brain damage that has long-lasting effects, especially if they are not cared for properly.
According to Quinsey, a common pattern with delayed concussions in children involves initial headaches that subside after a few days, followed by lingering symptoms tied to eye coordination or vestibular issues.
“In patients that do have multiple concussions, particularly if they haven’t even healed from the first one, they definitely can have permanent intellectual deficit and lower IQ,” Qinsely said. “We really want to make sure that kids in particular, are really healing from their injury.”
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