New York City Gunman Had Two Psychiatric Detentions in Las Vegas
Article Title: Nevada's Mental Health Laws and Gun Control: A Look at the Shane Tamura Case
In the tragic shooting incident that occurred on July 28, 2025, at a high-rise office building in Midtown Manhattan, the question of gun control and mental health laws has once again come to the forefront. The shooter, Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old Las Vegas casino surveillance worker, had a history of mental health issues, yet was able to legally obtain the AR-15-style rifle he used in the attack.
Tamura was subjected to two emergency mental-health holds in Las Vegas in 2022 and 2024. However, Nevada's laws do not automatically prohibit firearm purchases or ownership based on short-term emergency mental health holds. Only a court-adjudicated involuntary commitment triggers firearm prohibitions under both state and federal law.
In Nevada, a law enforcement officer or health care professional can initiate a 72-hour mental health hold for individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. However, temporary holds are not uploaded to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and so do not show up in background checks. This means that individuals under emergency mental health holds can still legally buy guns in Nevada.
The limited use of red flag laws and delayed or incomplete reporting contribute to this gap in preventing at-risk individuals from accessing guns. Nevada's red flag law, passed in 2019, allows courts to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others, but its use remains very limited compared to other states.
Interestingly, the AR-15-style rifle used in the Manhattan skyscraper shooting was purchased from Tamura's supervisor in the surveillance department of Horseshoe Las Vegas. The LVMPD released records about Tamura's mental-health holds "in light of the extraordinary circumstances."
Tamura's victims included an off-duty NYPD officer working security and multiple building employees. He killed four people and critically injured another before dying by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the 33rd floor of the Manhattan skyscraper.
Federal law prohibits people from buying guns only if they are adjudicated as "a mental defective" by a court or other authority. The NICS currently lists more than eight million names in the category of "a mental defective." However, in this case, neither of the two mental-health holds prevented Tamura from legally obtaining the AR-15-style rifle he used in the Manhattan skyscraper shooting.
This incident has highlighted the need for a comprehensive review of Nevada's mental health laws and gun control policies. While emergency mental health holds are crucial for the safety of individuals and the community, it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent at-risk individuals from accessing guns.
[1] Mental Health America [2] Las Vegas Review-Journal [3] Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence [4] Nevada Revised Statutes [5] Federal Bureau of Investigation
- In Nevada, the AR-15-style rifle used by Shane Tamura in the Manhattan skyscraper shooting was purchased from his supervisor in the surveillance department of Horseshoe Las Vegas.
- Shane Tamura, the gunman in the Midtown Manhattan shooting incident, had a history of mental health struggles, despite two emergency mental-health holds in Las Vegas in 2022 and 2024.
- Nevada's mental health laws do not automatically prevent firearm purchases or ownership based on short-term emergency mental health holds.
- The limited use of red flag laws and delayed or incomplete reporting in Nevada contribute to a gap in preventing at-risk individuals from accessing guns.
- Interest in Nevada's mental health laws and gun control policies has been renewed following the tragic shooting incident in Manhattan, which resulted in four fatalities and one critical injury.
- Federal law prohibits people from buying guns only if they are adjudicated as "a mental defective" by a court or other authority, yet neither of the two mental-health holds prevented Tamura from legally obtaining the AR-15-style rifle he used in the attack.
- Resources such as Mental Health America, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Nevada Revised Statutes, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation may provide valuable insights into the complex issues of mental health and gun control in Nevada.
- Despite a 72-hour mental health hold conducted by a law enforcement officer or health care professional in Nevada, individuals under emergency mental health holds can still legally purchase guns.
- The incident has underscored the importance of a thorough review of Nevada's mental health laws and gun control policies to protect public safety and address the growing concern of mental health in the context of gun violence.
