Aland Etienne, the security guard who was killed in the Park Avenue shooting spree by Shane Tamura after he spent his last hours attempting to save others, was buried on Saturday.
The burial for the 46-year-old guard, who was severely wounded after crawling to press a button to stop the elevators from carrying Tamura to the upper levels during his July 28 rampage at 345 Park Ave, drew a large crowd of mourners, including mayoral Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani.
According to his family’s statement in the service program at Guarino Funeral Home on Flatlands Ave. in Canarsie, the father of four and grandfather of two paid the ultimate sacrifice by putting courage and selflessness ahead of fear. He saved innumerable lives at the expense of his own in his last moments by acting to safeguard others.
The youngest of his children is only five years old. After the incident, distraught family members were unsure of how to inform the young kid.
Two days after the shooting, Camille Isemylee, who is dating Etienne’s youngest brother and calls him her brother-in-law, told the Daily News that the small kid believes his father is in the hospital. You know, he believes he’s coming. Mommy is going to go fetch Daddy because something occurred to him and he’s coming.
Etienne, a budding filmmaker who immigrated to the United States from Haiti in 2017, started working as a security guard at one of Manhattan’s most recognizable buildings, according to his family.
According to his family, knowing Aland meant knowing tranquility. In a world full with noise, he was a calm, forceful, and measured presence. He spoke loudly without raising his voice, and he handled himself with dignity and humility.
The family said that his influence was felt not just in words but also in deeds, devotion, and love.
When Etienne jumped behind a security desk on the day of the shooting in an attempt to ring the alarm, Tamura shot him.
In the days following the shooting, Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry stated on Fox 5’s Good Day New York that he attempted to crawl to press the button to recall the elevators so the elevators wouldn’t go to the top floor after being struck.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, a vengeful Tamura entered the lobby of 345 Park Ave. with an assault rifle and began shooting, initially killing Officer Didarul Islam, who was wearing an NYPD uniform and working a paid security detail that the department had approved.
After shooting Etienne, Blackstone CEO Wesley LePatner, 43, and seriously injuring an NFL employee, the gunman proceeded to the 33rd floor of the elevator, where he killed Julia Hyman, a 27-year-old Rudin employee, before ending his own life.
Tamura thought he had CTE, a brain disorder that football players frequently get from repeated hits to the head. He had a history of mental illness and had been hospitalized twice in Las Vegas for suicidal thoughts.
Even though he only played football in high school, his notion led him on a fatal spree to Park Avenue and the NFL offices, which he blamed for his condition.
Over $192,000 has been raised by a GoFundMe that was started to assist Etienne’s family.
