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Fresh from his trip to Uganda, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, avoided questions from reporters on Wednesday about a mass shooting that claimed the lives of four individuals, including 36-year-old NYPD officer Didarul Islam.
Mamdani, known for his socialist views advocating for defunding the police and disbanding specialized police units, met with the family of the fallen officer but declined to answer reporters’ questions. He spent an hour with Islam’s family, as reported by The New York Post.
Photographs show him embracing a member of the officer’s family as he left the meeting.
On Monday evening, a lone gunman, identified as Shane Tamura, entered a midtown Manhattan office building and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of four individuals before taking his own life.
The victims of the shooting were identified as Didarul Islam, Wesley LePatner, Aland Etienne, and Julia Hyman.
While still in Uganda, Mamdani expressed his sorrow over the tragic shooting, stating, “I’m heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown and I am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts.”
Following the tragedy, Mamdani’s previous pledge to eliminate the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group has gained renewed attention. This unit is responsible for handling riots, civil disorder, and shootings within the city.
In a statement from December, Mamdani criticized the SRG for its actions against striking individuals and vowed to disband the unit if elected as mayor.
Mamdani will be addressing the shooting incident in a press conference later on Wednesday.
