Thousands of people walked through the doors of 345 Park Avenue over the years to attend events at the Irish Consulate or do business with an Irish state agency.
On Monday evening a man walked through a door in the building with a plan to kill.
It could have happened at any time given the pattern of mass shootings across America.
As it happened, the Consulate and agencies were no longer housed at 345, the Blackstone Building. They moved to a new address about a year ago, this after a thirty year tenancy.
The Consulate released a statement following the shooting.
It stated: “The team at the Consulate General of Ireland, New York extends our deepest sympathy to all those effected by the shocking incident last evening at the former home of the Consulate for over 30 years on 345 Park Avenue, including to the Rudin management and security teams who we had worked alongside for many years.
"We thank them, the NYPD, and the emergency services for their dedication and swift response. We extend our condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and our sympathies to the wider NYPD family on the loss of their fallen colleague. We hope for a good recovery for those who were injured.
"The Irish and Irish American community, the Consulate, and our Ireland House partners have many warm and positive memories of our long association with 345 Park Avenue and we extend our solidarity to all in the building at this very sad time.”
The dead in the 345 shooting - four in all excluding the gunman who took his own life - included an off duty NYPD officer whose wife will soon give birth to their third child.
Officer Didarul Islam, 36, was, according to a New York Post report, "being remembered as a dedicated family man who loved putting on the uniform after he was senselessly murdered by 27-year-old Shane Tamura inside 345 Park Ave., somber city leaders said during a press conference."
“He was doing what he does best and all members of the police department carry out, he was saving lives,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
Tamura was apparently targeting the offices of the National Football League. He carried a long gun and a note claiming that he suffered from CTE, a brain condition that has affected a number of football players.
He reportedly suffered from mental issues but nevertheless owned a Nevada concealed weapon permit.
What transpired then was all too sadly familiar.
There have 254 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2025 thus far, this according to the Gun Violence Archive.
There have been 8,590 deaths due to gun violence in the U.S. so far this year and 15,704 injuries.
It's a safe bet that little or no political action will be taken in Congress in an effort to to keep those numbers where they now stand.
