Subscriber Exclusive: Dr. John Weighs in On the Midtown Manhattan Mass Shooting | Did CTE Play a Role?
Added 2025-08-13 22:36:55 +0000 UTCSubscriber Exclusive: Dr. John Weighs in On the Midtown Manhattan Mass Shooting | Did CTE Play a Role?
Comments
They found out that he did indeed to have CTE
T-Money
2025-11-02 03:41:36 +0000 UTCThere’s a lot of speculation here
T-Money
2025-11-02 02:56:49 +0000 UTCHe sounds to me he was having to pretend who he was due to depression. I don’t know I just wish we would all study more and be accepting to learning more about mental health issues. It’s so sad. Thank you John and Lauren
NoniLady
2025-09-23 02:06:36 +0000 UTCGoing to just say it: no reason a physical trauma, CTE, could not make anything anywhere worse. I’m a mom, you bring souls into this life. They are going to be hurting sometime, so teach them early that’s okay. Teach them early who their safe folks are. Be weaving that safety net for your kids the minute you expect the joy…yep getting preachy. Sorry this brings such tears. Dr John would get it I learned English at 5 so I could go fast pass to Lane Tech this breaks my heart
Margaret Hartley
2025-09-19 03:32:06 +0000 UTCWe have some strong and very mixed feelings about youth sports culture, and particularly football. My husband played high school football and destroyed one of his knees—fortunately no brain injuries (and what does it say that we say “fortunately”?) We have 3 adult sons, and the older 2 wanted to play football. We purposely chose a high school that didn’t have a football program. It wasn’t just a “Mom” decision; it was both of us. They were just starting to talk about CTE. Our boys weren’t happy at the time, but given what has been discovered since about football and brain injuries, including CTE, and other serious injuries, they have thanked us more than once since then. We’re not opposed to sports for kids—there are many positives. They played basketball, baseball and soccer and my husband coached them in soccer for over 20 years by the time our last son was finished. We saw some truly terrible parental behavior, including parents living vicariously, pushing their kids to achieve their own unrealized dreams. Sometimes the kids were into it; sometimes they were not. Some of the situations were sad and upsetting to watch. Anyway… it’s a nuanced conversation—thanks for being willing to have hard conversations. Dr, John, I’m glad your football years didn’t damage your brilliant mind. Thanks for sharing your gifts and insights, both of you. I appreciate the integrity and humanity you bring to the true crime space.
Lisa Fowler
2025-08-28 21:40:07 +0000 UTCThey you both and Dr John, I sincerely appreciate your words on depression/suicide/suicidal ideations. Many people who don't suffer from depression/treatment resistant depression/bipolar/etc and haven't lost anyone close to them by suicide can't always understand the complexities of mental illness. Your comments about condemning the homicide to this but having empathy are so spot on. This whole video is so important to people really understanding mental illness and helping to reduce the stigma and shame around it.
Alicyn Hargroves
2025-08-20 04:23:36 +0000 UTCThank you, Dr. John, for providing your perspective on a very tragic situation.
Theresa Rathbone
2025-08-19 17:18:34 +0000 UTCAlso interesting to note that he was on an epilepsy medication. Many of those have a common side effect of difficulty concentrating/thinking. So possibly part of why he thought he had CTE was confusing a side effect of the medication for a symptom of CTE? If so, it’s unfortunate that something so simple as having asked his pharmacist about if it could be a medication side effect and having asked the prescribing doctor about trying a different medication or adjusting the dosage could have saved multiple lives.
Marmalade's Mom
2025-08-17 20:01:22 +0000 UTCDr John, have you considered that although he was a brilliant athlete he may have struggled with dyslexia? The reason why he was not making it academically? I saw it 2x in my lifetime, causing severe depression
Hannlie van Niekerk
2025-08-17 13:58:15 +0000 UTCMs. Hyman was a New Yorker, a graduate of the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, where she was not just a varsity athlete in soccer, swimming and lacrosse, but the captain of all three teams her senior year, according to a letter sent to the student body on Tuesday by Kari Ostrem, the head of school. At Riverdale, she was a leader of the peer mentoring program and received the school’s prestigious Founders Award, presented to “that young woman who best demonstrated outstanding ability, leadership and sportsmanship and the qualities of hard work, excellent attitude and responsibility to her teammates and school,” Ms. Ostrem’s letter said. “We are simply heartbroken by this loss, and will forever remember Julia for her light, her bright smile and infectious laugh, and the kindness and sense of community that she brought to school every day,” she wrote. “This incident has truly shaken this community and our entire city to its core.” Her family declined to comment through a spokesman. Brian Carver and Cat Crocker, who were her deans at Riverdale, said in a joint statement that Ms. Hyman stood out for her “modesty and humility, her desire to see others succeed, and her grit and tenacity in the face of adversity.” Milton Sipp, the head of Riverdale’s middle school, wrote that she had a “heart of gold.” In a statement, Rudin confirmed that an employee had been killed and called her a “cherished” colleague. She was a 2020 graduate of Cornell University’s Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, N.Y., where she appeared to have been a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, according to information on her Facebook page. She had started working at Rudin last November, according to her LinkedIn profile. In a statement, Michael I. Kotlikoff, the president of Cornell, said that Ms. Hyman had graduated summa cum laude, with a major in hotel and restaurant administration and a minor in real estate.
Roberta S Treacy
2025-08-16 19:26:17 +0000 UTCHi John and Lauren, I was born in NYC and grew up there. I live in a nearby suburb, so I am a lifelong NYer. I am astounded that this sick individual was able to just walk the streets of Manhattan with this horrid weapon in his hands. I understand what motivated your thoughtful comments on this tragedy. I know that you have great compassion for the victims. He killed a NYC cop. He also killed a young woman who had such a bright future. This is excerpted from a July 29 NYT article about her: see comment above 👆
Roberta S Treacy
2025-08-16 19:25:50 +0000 UTCI’m a LCSW - wonder if you think he may have some ocd traits based on obsession with cte and nfl?
Carla Winchester
2025-08-16 14:59:15 +0000 UTCAgreed, it’s so much more nuanced. I think it’s important as Dr John demonstrated that we can have sympathy and empathy for other peoples situations and separate that from the horrible actions they took as a result. It’s what I find to be very interesting and amazing Dr John and Lauren’s analysis and reporting.
Kelly Southworth
2025-08-16 02:07:10 +0000 UTCI think his anger at the NFL was really a representation of his father and his latent anger at him for not seeing him for anything more than a football player.
Kelly Southworth
2025-08-16 02:05:18 +0000 UTCVery proud to be a member and this is why. Thank you both!
Michelle Inga
2025-08-15 21:39:57 +0000 UTCLove you both!! 😍
Lizzy
2025-08-15 05:22:21 +0000 UTCAs crazy as it sounds, I think it’s possible that permanent brain damage (CTE) was a more appealing explanation to him than depression because of how parts of society treat depression and people with depression. And the fact that his father was a police officer points me in this direction, as well.
Jennifer Hudson
2025-08-14 20:19:28 +0000 UTCRe hidden depression—one thing we don’t discuss enough is the way in which people are often blamed for their own depression. And because of that, it’s possible that people around him didn’t even want to ask him about it or try to get him help because “depression” can be seen as an offensive accusation. Ie they cared about their friend and didn’t want to offensively accuse him of being depressed! This is a huge problem. And it seems to me that CTE is a convenient physical health culprit that would’ve made him feel better about his depression because then it was at least not his own fault.
Jennifer Hudson
2025-08-14 20:12:09 +0000 UTCAnother amazing analysis. This story was completely off my radar, and my understanding is that might be by design. I understand that the Internet chatter is that this may have been a copycat of Mangione, and as the analysis shows this was certainly more ideologically motivated than your typical mass shooting. The new Jordan Peele horror film seems to be about how young men have to sacrifice their bodies and their minds to achieve the American dream that is the NFL. Seems like an eerie presentiment on his part. Admittedly, I do have more empathy for these idealogical criminals, over your standard mass killer. I can't muster any for young men and the occasional girl who kill over their perceived superiority to other races or gender. Not to condone these idealogical crimes, but I am surprised we don't see more of them as the things become increasingly bereft of any hope in our country.
Emm Vee
2025-08-14 17:38:31 +0000 UTCI think that statement makes it sound easier than it is, or simplifies a very complex set of circumstances. I remember listening to people who study radicalization and listening to The Violence Project and the experts saying similar things. It can be extremely hard to change someone’s mind when they are “in deep” (I don’t know how to describe this part well—hopefully people have a better understanding when I describe the other part). What each group of experts said was that early intervention was better. For example, targeting the recruitment process to interrupt radicalization. The Violence Project talked about finding “off ramps” for people who are developing into potential mass shooters. Dr. John talked about how effective mental health interventions could have helped this individual. Also, the suicide lifeline (https://988lifeline.org) can help people resist acting on suicide ideation. I’m starting to ramble. I’m trying to say that people can make a difference and that suicide typically has a lot of factors. Social workers can also help people when they are in crisis. Just as important, the day to day work social workers do can be an early intervention that saves lives.
Heidi
2025-08-14 15:51:49 +0000 UTCI think the difference between whether it is “OK” to report on different kinds of killers has to do with the possibility of contagion. How people report on suicide and/or mass shooters can have negative effects. I think the two of you care about the impact of your reporting. Not everyone does. It’s tricky.
Heidi
2025-08-14 15:24:49 +0000 UTCThere is so much pressure on children today, especially with sports. I wonder whether we should really place the blame on his father, or actually on the school system. Young kids are placed in sports from 3 years forward, and feel a pressure to participate and succeed all the way through college. There is social status with sports. But also with the actual education-everyone is forced into a hyper competitive college bound curriculum. I just went through hs and college with 3 kids. The AP track has morphed into this hyper high pressure scenario where thousands of facts are expected to be crammed in for the test throughout the year. Watch some of the test prep videos from College Board. They are manic and ridiculous. The schools favor athletes and commit more money than to music and arts. The teachers expect professional typed papers from a young age because of computers-so kids without computers are left behind. Couple that with going through school during Covid and we have a generation of children that feel like they cannot succeed in the current system, and now recent college grads, after all that pressure, cannot get decent jobs, and manufacturers cannot find people to work for them on the assembly lines since our education system is doing nothing to prepare those who may not want to be forced into the college bound curriculum. What are we doing here?
Jennifer Priebe
2025-08-14 14:52:24 +0000 UTCI have heard of this kind of chain of events framed differently. Some people, after making the decision to die by suicide, feel a certain amount of relief because they came to a decision. This can present as doing better. From what I understand, the majority of people with suicide ideation are not trying to hurt people around them (I do acknowledge - and have personally felt - the impact of a suicide on a family and/or a family). Night Falls Fast by Kay Redfield Jamison really talks about the complexity of suicide ideation. It is an extremely difficult read. If you choose to read it, please take care of yourself. https://988lifeline.org/
Heidi
2025-08-14 14:35:32 +0000 UTCThis is such an important conversation. It’s so easy for society to point and say “look at that evil person..” but understanding that every crime started with a person for whom specific circumstances led to terrible decisions is more difficult because that means we can’t do the “them not me” mentality gymnastics.
LLemon
2025-08-14 11:48:41 +0000 UTCI say this... I hope that they do study his brain and rule out CTE.. whether he did have CTE or it is just depression or he is bipolar... Either way, there needs to be awareness of CTE or Bipolar/Depression... I do believe if he has tried to take his own life or if he has mentioned self harm, his open carry license, should have been revoked.
DeLady aka Robin
2025-08-14 11:44:29 +0000 UTCSuch an odd case.
Trucrimegirl
2025-08-14 05:59:17 +0000 UTCIdk if anyone can answer this question for me. I was in social work for a couple years and in our training, they taught us that all suicides are preventable. Is this true?
Eedee
2025-08-14 03:43:02 +0000 UTCDr John and Lauren, thank you. I was told once that people who are suicidal can exhibit signs of depression for a long time and once they have “made up their mind” to end their life, will seemingly relax and when their loved ones or people around them drop their guard and concern, they take their life with their intention to create a lot of shock in those around them, ie “he/she was doing so well, we don’t understand why”. Do you have any insight on this pov? Glad to hear you are sounding better. To any gem this might trigger, it is not my intention to upset you. I hope that you’re doing ok and my thoughts go out to you.
JenAus
2025-08-14 03:08:44 +0000 UTCI had a very close friend take his own life a few years ago. People would have described him exactly the same way that Shane’s teammates described him. Goofball, positive, uplifting, etc. You really don’t know what people are dealing with under the surface. Thank you for this coverage, it’s such a tragedy on all levels.
kelleyo
2025-08-14 02:59:01 +0000 UTCSometimes people take on the care giver in a family. "I'll make it right for everyone by doing everything I can with a smile and be a jokester to make people feel better when there is a trauma or crisis in the family." I am not saying that is true here. But as people age depression can set in when one hasn't been able to express their own feelings and learn how to deal with them. All the times he should have been cared for he cared for others in his way. This can happen very subtlely in families in various consistencies and strength. Also parents can put their own dreams on their children and it can be unbearable for children. Again, we don't know for sure this is the situation. I do feel for the victims! We need more mental health services in schools!! This is what is valuable about Dr. John--what can we learn to help. Stricter background checks for gun ownership, too?
Beth Kallaus
2025-08-14 02:53:09 +0000 UTChttps://988lifeline.org
Kay Louise
2025-08-14 02:14:30 +0000 UTCAnd also John, you're right. It perhaps could have been prevented. I understand where you are coming from.
Tracy Vigus
2025-08-14 02:08:12 +0000 UTCThank you guys! I had just left Manhattan when it happened. Woof
Becky (Rebecca Randall)
2025-08-14 02:00:03 +0000 UTCI agree with John. Such depression overload. This does not excuse his actions at all. I suspect there is much more in his background. Why didn't he go to a therapist instead of intentionally driving across the country to kill. That drive gave him so much time. Bless the victims.
Tracy Vigus
2025-08-14 01:42:19 +0000 UTCI also think CTE offered a convenient out for this young man. If it was CTE, that was almost good news—he didn’t have to try anymore. He didn’t have to confront what hurt him, open up, and go through the painful and vulnerable process of seeking help. He could take the excuse and give up.
lemoncoffee
2025-08-14 00:39:43 +0000 UTCThere is no evidence that he had brain trauma.
Truffles
2025-08-14 00:37:17 +0000 UTCNo
Truffles
2025-08-14 00:29:42 +0000 UTCThank you for your thoughtful coverage of this tragedy; and thank you for your vulnerability ❤️
Elizabeth Thompson
2025-08-14 00:14:59 +0000 UTCJohn, Lauren, a young man named Jayson Blair has a true crime podcast called The Silver Linings Handbook and just posted Part 2 of his interview with Gil and Dan Harrington, my closest friends. At some point, please try to listen to Parts 1 and 2, because they too express empathy even for their daughter’s brutal murderer. Dan is a psychologist and Gil, an oncology nurse, retired now, and their medically-informed compassion I think will interest you greatly 🙏
Jane Vance
2025-08-14 00:14:27 +0000 UTCIf anyone wants to watch an awesome movie about "CTE" the name of it is Concussion with Will Smith... I've watched it a couple of times.
DeLady aka Robin
2025-08-14 00:14:05 +0000 UTCThis is so sad!
Donna
2025-08-14 00:05:31 +0000 UTCHow is that ok?
Elizabeth Lacey
2025-08-14 00:02:47 +0000 UTCEven if he HAS CTE - in this day and age… I bet THEY cover it up? NFL has too much $, power and connections
Kacy Cat Artist
2025-08-13 23:37:34 +0000 UTCHi Friends, I had company here when this came on live and I was SO frustrated not to be live with you. Your insights matter so much to so many of us! 🙏
Jane Vance
2025-08-13 23:19:16 +0000 UTCThank you for covering this story! So sad for all concerned
Johnnie Alford
2025-08-13 23:09:41 +0000 UTCWoohoo … watch full vid later 💕
JenAus
2025-08-13 22:38:37 +0000 UTC
