More Bronx connections have come to light following Monday’s tragic mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan in addition to Det. First Grade Didarul Islam, 36, [posthumously promoted from police officer] a Bangladeshi American, husband, father of two, with another baby on the way, assigned to the Bronx’s 47th Precinct, whose funeral took place on July 31, as reported.

 

Two Jewish American women who were also fatally shot, as reported, at the commercial high rise at 345 Park Avenue on Monday, July 28, Julia Hyman, 27, a Rudin Management employee, and Wesley LePatner, 43, a wife, mother to a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, who was an executive at Blackstone global investment company, had both attended school in the north Bronx.

 

School records show that LePatner was an alumna of Horace Mann School located in Fieldston, a member of the Class of 1999, while Hyman had attended Riverdale Country School in Riverdale from 2003 to 2016.

 

Norwood News reached out to both Riverdale Country School and Horace Mann School for comment. According to CBS News, Hyman’s funeral took place on Wednesday morning, July 30, while Eyewitness News reported that a memorial service was held for Hyman at Central Synagogue in Midtown. The New York Post reported that LePatner’s memorial service took place at the same synagogue the following day.

 

Paying tribute, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Julia Hyman was a valued colleague, all-star athlete, trusted friend, and loving daughter and sister. Meeting her parents and hearing all the stories about her, you could tell she had the makings of a great leader. It’s so tragic to see a promising light go dim too soon.”

 

According to reporting by The New York Times citing a letter sent to the student body on Tuesday by Kari Ostrem, the head of the school, Hyman was a varsity athlete in soccer, swimming and lacrosse at Riverdale Country School, and the captain of all three teams her senior year.

 

Citing a further extract from Ostrem’s letter, The Times reported, “At Riverdale, [Hyman] was a leader of the peer mentoring program and received the school’s prestigious Founders Award, presented to ‘that young woman who best demonstrated outstanding ability, leadership and sportsmanship and the qualities of hard work, excellent attitude and responsibility to her teammates and school.'”

 

Quoting again from Ostrem’s letter, a further extract from the Times article read,  “We are simply heartbroken by this loss, and will forever remember Julia for her light, her bright smile and infectious laugh, and the kindness and sense of community that she brought to school every day. This incident has truly shaken this community and our entire city to its core.”

 

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that at her memorial service in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, her uncle described Hyman, a Manhattan native and Cornell graduate from the Class of 2020, as “so full of promise and so deeply loved.”

 

Meanwhile, according to Horace Mann School, on Dec. 4, 2023, LePatner was honored by the UJA Federation of New York, a Jewish philanthropic nonprofit, with the Alan C. Greenberg Young Leadership Award, an honor given “to an individual who is a true standout on Wall Street and has demonstrated extraordinary dedication and generosity within the Jewish Community.”

 

The school reported that LePatner was the global chief operating officer of Core+ Real Estate at Blackstone and noted separately that she had, at one point, been named to Yahoo Finance’s Top 100 Women Executives list. In a statement released Tuesday, July 29, Blackstone wrote, “Words cannot express the devastation we feel that our beloved colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident yesterday at 345 Park Avenue.”

 

It continued, “We are also deeply saddened by the loss of the other innocent victims, including brave security personnel and NYPD. Wesley was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children, parents and family.”

 

According Blackstone’s website, before joining Blackstone in 2014, LePatner spent over a decade at Goldman Sachs, where she began her career. She received a BA in History from Yale University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and had served on the boards of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, The UJA-Federation of New York, and Yale University Library Council. She was also a member of the Advisory Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

 

Olivia John, founder and CEO of Osso, wrote of her colleague, “I almost never post on social media, but I feel compelled to today. Last night, we lost a truly special soul. Wesley LePatner was so much more than an incredibly talented and smart real estate executive and manager. She had a pure heart, was humble, and always wanted to do what was right.”

 

She added, “She also advocated tirelessly for other women professionally. But at her core, she was a loving mom and wife. I always admired the life she had built for herself—a true partnership in marriage with her college sweetheart and two lovely kids, while absolutely dominating her professional life. She was at the prime of her life and was taken from us far too early. We love and miss you dearly, Wesley. ❤️”

 

During LePatner’s funeral in Manhattan on Thursday, July 31, the New York Post reported that her husband and teenage daughter each delivered moving eulogies. LePatner was also reportedly a friend, through the UJA, of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch who, as reported, had appeared emotional but composed during Monday night’s press briefing in Midtown after the shooting. Norwood News has reached out to the UJA for comment.

 

During a vigil for the victims held in Midtown’s Bryant Park on Tuesday night, after thanking the mayor on behalf of the City and State for his “leadership” and “compassion” in the wake of the tragedy, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also thanked Tisch, saying, “Commissioner Jessica Tisch, one of the most humble people you will ever meet, but she deserves our gratitude for the courage she has displayed in this moment, of standing up to the hatred, and violence and supporting the men and woman of the NYPD. Thank you, Commissioner Tisch, for all you do for us.”

 

On Monday night, after participating in the dignified removal of Islam from Midtown, Adams had written in part, “Our city also mourns the three other innocent lives lost this evening and is praying for another innocent victim fighting for his life in critical condition. It’s unthinkable these people were taken from us so randomly and senselessly. They and their loved ones are in our hearts.”

 

In recent days, he also said, “Wesley LePatner was a loving wife, devoted mom, beloved daughter, and a generous leader in our city’s business world, civic life, and Jewish community. Speaking to her husband, parents, and brother at shiva today, I could see she put her whole heart into everything she did.”

 

As reported, an active shooter, later identified as Shane Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, who police said had a “documented mental health history,” died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after shooting Islam, LePatner, Hyman, and Alain Etienne, 46, a son, brother, father of two school-aged children, according to reporting by The New York Times, and a beloved and well respected security guard from the Haitian American community.

Etienne’s brother later wrote on social media, “My family suffered a heartbreaking tragedy. My brother, Aland, lost his life in the shooting that happened in New York while he was at work. He was more than a brother—he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives. Our hearts are shattered, and we’re asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time. Rest in peace, Brother. You’ll never be forgotten.”

 

On July 30, a gathering was held at 32BJ SEIU headquarters, attended by 32BJ President Manny Pastreich, Smith Etienne, brother of the late Aland Etienne, who was a 32BJ SEIU member, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36), Democratic mayoral nominee, and Bangladeshi American Police Association (BAPA) co-founder and retired Senior NYPD Lt. Commander Shamsul Haque to honor all of the victims.

 

Pastreich described Aland Etienne as a father, a loving partner to Rochelle, a brother and a son. He said in his role as a security officer at 345 Park Avenue, “Mr. Etienne was doing his job, as he always did, engaging tenants, talking about their lives and families as so many security officers do in this city every single day.”

 

He paid tribute to all security guards who he said put themselves at risk each day doing their jobs, adding that they were often overlooked and unseen, and called Etienne a hero. Pastreich said the union members’ hearts went out to all the victims and their families.

 

For more on the sequence of Tamura’s actions on entering the building, read our previous story here and for more on Islam’s funeral and Governor Kathy Hochul’s calls again for a national ban on assault rifles, click here.

 

Another injured man, later identified as Craig Clementi, an employee at the NFL, was reported to be in critical but stable condition on Monday night. Police said there were some other more minor injuries incurred also as people attempted to escape.

Norwood News reached out to the NFL for comment and “Melvin” responded, saying everyone at the organization was very saddened by the events that happened, confirming one of the injured victims was indeed an NFL employee. “His name is Craig Clementi, and he works in the finance department at the NFL,” he said. 

 

The statement continued, “According to multiple reports, Clementi was struck by a bullet in the back during the attack. Despite the severity of the incident, he is currently in stable condition after undergoing surgery. His father-in-law shared that there was some spinal damage, but Clementi is ‘doing well.'”

 

The statement continued, “Remarkably, even after being injured, he was reportedly on the phone warning colleagues and advising them to evacuate while being transported to the hospital. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed in a memo that Clementi was seriously injured and that the league is supporting his family during this difficult time.”

 

It concluded, “This is a deeply distressing event, and our thoughts are with Craig Clementi, his loved ones, and everyone affected by the violence. If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed by this news, it’s okay to seek support, whether through a trusted friend, a counselor, or an employee assistance program.”

 

In a separate statement issued online on Monday, the organization said, “The NFL is deeply grateful for the outpouring of support following the tragic act of violence at the New York City building that houses our league office among other organizations. We honor the four innocent lives lost, including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, whose heroism will never be forgotten.”

 

It continued, “Our thoughts are with the survivors as they begin the difficult journey of physical and emotional recovery. The NFL family is resilient and united, and together, we will find strength in one another as we heal.”

 

For more on this story, click here and here.

Help is available for anyone dealing with mental health issues. Read our recent health check here. For immediate mental health support in New York City, anyone can contact NYC Well 24/7 by calling 888-NYC-WELL (692-9355), texting “WELL” to 65173, or visiting NYC.gov for online chat. For crisis situations, dialing 988 connects individuals to free, confidential crisis counseling and support. 

 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential.