'Grief and condolences are not enough'

First responders are seen after the shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan on July 28, 2025.

First responders are seen after the shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan on Monday

(Image credit: Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 30 July 2025

'The New York gunman blamed CTE. I've seen that pain and I know silence is deadly.'

RK Russell at The Guardian

The recent Manhattan shooting is a "warning about everything we still refuse to confront: how we treat brain trauma, how we ignore mental illness, how we arm the broken, and how silence" kills, says RK Russell. The shooter "didn't play in the NFL," but the "way he described his suffering in his final note, the way he named CTE, and the league, and begged for his brain to be studied: that language, that desperation, it's familiar."

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.