Aland Etienne, lobby security guard in Park Avenue mass shooting, died trying to stop elevators, NYPD says

Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News on Jul 30, 2025

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NEW YORK — Aland Etienne, the security guard murdered in a mass shooting in the lobby of a Park Avenue skyscraper, spent the final moments of his life trying to save others, NYPD officials revealed Wednesday.

Etienne, 46, “tried to crawl to hit the button to recall the elevators so the elevators wouldn’t go to the top floor,” Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry said on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.”

But the attempt to stop the elevators was unsuccessful and gunman Shane Tamura made it to the 33rd floor, where shot a woman to death after killing Etienne, a police officer and a woman in the lobby and wounding a survivor. Tamura then shot himself to death on the 33rd floor.

As the investigation into Monday evening’s mass shooting continues, Daughtry said more stories about the life-and-death drama that unfolded “will come out.”

Etienne's final act of bravery is typical of how he did his job.

Manny Pastreich, president of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement that Etienne was “a dedicated security officer who took his job duties extremely seriously.”

“Every time a security officer puts on their uniform, they put their lives on the line,” Pastreich added. “Their contributions to our city are essential, though often unappreciated. Aland Etienne is a New York hero. We will remember him as such.”

Etienne and his girlfriend had been looking forward to this Saturday, the day their son turns 7. He also left behind five brothers and a sister.

One of the brothers, Gathmand Etienne, said in a social media post Tuesday that his family had “suffered a heartbreaking tragedy.”

“He was more than a brother — he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives,” he wrote. “Our hearts are shattered, and we’re asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time.”

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