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Funeral held for NYC office shooting victim Julia Hyman, prayer service planned for NYPD officer

A funeral was held Wednesday morning for the first victim to be laid to rest in the deadly shooting inside an office building in New York City. 

Julia Hyman's uncle described her as a remarkable young woman who lived with courage and conviction. The 27-year-old Rudin Management employee was gunned down on the 33rd floor of the high-rise at 345 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan on Monday night. 

"Today, as we gather with hearts shattered and sprits heavy, struggling to make sense of a world that has lost someone so luminous, so full of promise and so deeply loved," her uncle said. "As we try to grapple with a loss so violent and so wrong, she continues to show up in our memories, in our hearts, and in the way we now strive to live with the same passion, depth and integrity that she embodied."

"She was her truth and that just hit so beautifully hard," another mourner said.

"At Julia Hyman's funeral today, her uncle, cousins, and over a dozen friends spoke about this eloquent young woman who was full of talent, passion, and adventure. She was in the prime of her life and the world has been robbed of her presence. May her memory be a blessing," a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams posted on social media.

Families of victims speak out about their loss

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, just back from a trip to Uganda, joined the family of victim Aland Etienne at an 32BJ SEIU union news conference.

"New York City has lost a hero," said Smith Etienne, the victim's brother. "Aland was a brother, a son, a loving father, a fantastic father ... My brother Aland was a hardworking man. Always get up on time, always doing overtime, always doing his part to make the city of New York a little bit safer every day."

Friends and family of victim Wesley LePatner chose not to speak to media on Wednesday out of respect for the grieving process, but her family did release a statement Tuesday that read, in part, "As we begin the difficult mourning process, we extend our deepest condolences to those who have also lost loved ones, and we ask that you provide us with the privacy we need in the coming days and weeks."

Fallen NYPD officer's funeral set for Thursday

Funeral plans have also been announced for NYPD Officer Didarul Islam. A special prayer service will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday at the fallen officer's mosque in the Parkchester section of the Bronx. Islam will be posthumously promoted to detective.

Early Wednesday morning, state and city leaders gathered with police for roll call at the 47th Precinct, where Islam served. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on social media that his family is grieving, writing, in part, "You can feel their pain and heartbreak inside these halls. All of New York stands with them today as we honor his service and share in their loss."

NYPD officers were seen outside the Parkchester Jame Masjid on Virginia Avenue taking photos and beginning plans for the funeral. Worshippers say they expect hundreds of people to attend the service, and police say barricades will be in place to ensure safety. 

Islam, a devoted police officer, husband and father, was just weeks away from welcoming his third child.

According to police, he was working as an off-duty security guard for a private company when he was killed, but his death is being considered a line-of-duty death.

NYC shooting investigation stretches from NYC to Las Vegas

Hyman and Islam were among the four people killed in Monday's attack. The other victims have been identified as Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner and security officer Aland Etienne. An unnamed NFL employee was seriously wounded in the shooting and remains in the hospital. 

On Tuesday, a motorcade led the way as officers, family and community members lined the streets to salute Islam during a dignified transfer to the mosque. Crowds gathered later Tuesday night in Bryant Park to remember the four innocent lives taken. Flags across the state are flying at half-staff to honor the victims.   

Investigators have said the 27-year-old gunman traveled from Las Vegas and tried to target the NFL's headquarters, which is located inside 345 Park Ave. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. 

Adams said NYPD teams have been sent to Las Vegas to help investigate. Sources say a co-worker purchased part of the AR-style rifle the gunman later used in the shooting, and detectives are interviewing that associate.

"[The first team is] looking at the gun that was used and the gun that was in the vehicle. And the second team is conducting a search warrant of the home of the perpetrator," the mayor said in an interview Wednesday morning. 

While the motive for the shooting remains under investigation, the mayor said Tuesday that police found a note in which the shooter mentioned CTE, a brain disease most common in athletes who play contact sports. Police said he also had a documented history of mental illness.

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