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New York, July 29: A New York City police officer is among four people killed in a shooting inside a Midtown Manhattan high-rise.

Police said the gunman walked into the office building on Monday evening with an MR rifle in clear view before spraying bullets in the lobby and on an upper floor. He then took his own life.

The shooting – in the centre of the most populous US city – sent pedestrians running for cover as police warned of an active gunman around 1830 ET. Those inside the building cowered as gunfire echoed – some even piling couches and chairs against doors as they hid in offices.

Police say the suspect, Shane Devon Tamura, 27, travelled from Las Vegas but a motive is unclear.

Among those killed was New York City officer Didarul Islam, who was working security at the building at the time of the attack. The three other victims have yet to be identified.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect entered the building at 345 Park Avenue, which houses businesses including the National Football League (NFL) and the investment management company Blackstone, and immediately opened fire.

He fatally shot Mr Islam in the building’s lobby, then took aim at a woman who hid cover behind a pillar. He proceeded through the lobby, “spraying” it with gunfire, hitting multiple people – including a security guard hiding behind a desk and another man nearby.

People’s News Monitoring Service