Wesley LePatner, a senior executive at global investment firm Blackstone, was one of four people tragically killed during a mass shooting on July 28 at the company’s Manhattan office building on Park Avenue.
LePatner, who served as the Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), was struck in the lobby during the attack, which also claimed the lives of three others, including off-duty NYPD officer Didarul Islam. Several others were injured and are currently being treated in hospital, according to officials and company sources.
In a statement released to the press, Blackstone expressed profound grief over the loss of one of its most esteemed leaders. “Wesley was a cherished member of the Blackstone family — intelligent, compassionate, and deeply admired both inside and outside our firm,” the company shared. “We are devastated. Our hearts go out to her husband, children, and all those mourning her loss.”
LePatner joined Blackstone in 2014 and quickly rose through the ranks as a respected voice in real estate investment. A Yale graduate and a committed advocate for workplace diversity, she also chaired Blackstone’s Women’s Initiative, which aimed to foster a more inclusive professional environment.
“It’s critical that diverse voices are not only present at the decision-making table but are actively heard,” LePatner said in a past interview with Leaders Magazine, emphasizing her belief in equity as essential to sound investment practices.
Her leadership extended into the cultural sector as well. Earlier this year, she was elected as an Elective Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she was expected to play a key role in advancing the institution’s mission.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, LePatner was a dedicated mother of two and was widely admired for her warmth, generosity, and moral clarity.
The gunman, identified by NYPD as Shane Devon Tamura, 45, of Las Vegas, entered the building with an M4 rifle and began shooting in the lobby before making his way to the 33rd floor, where he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities later revealed Tamura had a documented history of mental illness.
The building, which houses multiple organizations including Blackstone and the NFL, went into lockdown as employees scrambled to alert one another through internal messaging platforms.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed in a memo that an NFL employee was among the injured and is currently in stable condition. “Our staff is with the family, and we are doing everything possible to support them,” the league said.
Blackstone’s statement concluded with condolences to all the victims of the attack, including “the courageous security personnel and members of law enforcement who also lost their lives.”
As investigations continue, the memory of Wesley LePatner remains etched in the hearts of those she led, mentored, and inspired.
