Just now, news came that Wesley LePatner, an executive at Blackstone, was killed in a shooting incident on Monday, at the age of 43. Wesley LePatner had worked at Blackstone for over ten years.
In a statement, Blackstone expressed its deep sorrow over LePatner’s passing. The statement mentioned that Blackstone colleagues were deeply shocked by LePatner’s death and praised her as “talented, passionate, enthusiastic, generous, and highly respected both inside and outside the company.”
Public records show that Wesley LePatner was the core real estate global head and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Fund (BREIT). She also served as a member of the Blackstone Real Estate Investment Committee. Previously, she held the position of Chief Operating Officer for Core+ Business and BREIT.
LePatner graduated from Yale University. Before joining Blackstone in 2014, Ms. LePatner had worked at Goldman Sachs for more than a decade, serving as the Director General of the Real Estate Investment Group before leaving.
Wesley LePatner
On July 28th, local time, New York’s financial center, Manhattan Island, once again drew global attention to another shooting incident.
According to reports from Xinhua Net and other media outlets, on the evening of July 28th, a gunman entered the building at 345 Park Avenue for a series of attacks, resulting in at least five deaths and six injuries, including the gunman himself. This office building is the global headquarters of the renowned investment firm Blackstone.
(The American Broadcasting Company reported that surveillance cameras captured footage of the gunman appearing outside the building)
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch introduced during a press conference that the gunman was a 27-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Shane Tamura.
He immediately began firing at the lobby upon entering the building, first killing New York Police Officer Diyarull Islam and then shooting a woman hiding behind a pillar and a security guard behind a desk.
The gunman then took an elevator to the 33rd floor of Rudin Real Estate Management Company, where he killed another person before shooting himself in the chest.
The incident occurred in the financial district of Manhattan, a hub for prominent institutions such as Blackstone Group and the NFL headquarters.
Following the news of the shooting, employees from other private equity firms and banks expressed that they had sent messages to friends working at Blackstone asking about the situation. A Blackstone employee shared a photo showing sofas stacked up to near the ceiling, serving as a barricade.
(Blackstone Group employee stacking furniture at an office entrance)
It is reported that on Monday evening, Blackstone’s President Jonathan Gray and CEO Stephen Schwarzman sent letters to employees, describing the incident as “incomprehensible” and labeling it “the worst day in the company’s history.” They will hold a company-wide online meeting with employees the following day to communicate.
Insiders revealed that Blackstone’s offices would be closed on Tuesday, with plans to continue closing over the next week.
On the secondary market, Blackstone’s stock opened higher but then plummeted, closing down 0.5% at $176.05, with its current market value at $216.6 billion.
Additionally, the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL), audit firm KPMG, Bank of America, and other institutions are also located within this building.
NFL President Roger Goodell also informed employees that one of the injured individuals was an NFL employee, who sustained serious injuries but is stable. Goodell mentioned that NY employees would work remotely on Tuesday and stated that taking a day off for vacation was understandable.
Reports indicate that the shooting incident also resulted in the closure of a large area in Midtown Manhattan, including institutions such as hedge fund Citadel and investment bank Jefferies. In recent years, the number of major financial companies gathering on Park Avenue has surpassed Wall Street, with JPMorgan Chase’s new headquarters located just a few blocks south of Blackstone Group’s headquarters.
It is reported that this building is only five blocks away from the hotel where last year executive Brian Thompson of UnitedHealth was shot, walking distance approximately 15 minutes.
New York Mayor: Manhattan Shooter Targeting NFL Headquarters but Mistaken for Another Floor
The target was the NFL headquarters but mistakenly went to another floor
On July 29th local time, New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that the shooter of the gun attack on the building at 345 Park Avenue on Central Parkway in Manhattan, New York City, targeted the offices of the National Football League (NFL).
Adams mentioned that investigators found a note on the shooter, Shane Tian, stating he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease associated with head injuries, commonly seen in veterans and athletes, including football players, ice hockey players, and boxers.
According to preliminary investigations, after shooting several people in the lobby of the building, the shooter attempted to go to the NFL headquarters office but took the wrong elevator to the wrong floor. He went to the 33rd floor of Rudin Management and thereafter committed suicide by shooting again.
Previously, New York City Police Commissioner Jacqueline蒂施 stated that the shooter seemed to act alone, though it remains unclear what his motives were.
Police reported that the suspect had a history of mental health issues and played football in high school, dreaming of becoming a professional player.