Funeral for slain NYPD Officer Didarul Islam
Funeral held earlier for fallen NYPD Detective killed in Midtown mass shooting
A funeral was held earlier today for Detective Didarul Islam, one of the four victims in the Midtown office shooting. FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt has the details.
NEW YORK - A funeral was held at a mosque in the Bronx for NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, one of the four victims killed in Monday’s deadly Midtown Manhattan shooting.
The 36-year-old officer, a Bangladeshi immigrant and father of two with a third child on the way, will be honored at his neighborhood mosque in Parkchester, just blocks from where he lived. The service is expected to draw city leaders, fellow officers, family, and friends.
Officer Islam served in the NYPD for three and a half years. At the time of the shooting, he was working a department-approved second job in uniform, providing paid security at 345 Park Avenue.
Following the viewing, Officer Islam is expected to be laid to rest in Totowa, New Jersey.
New York City political figures, like former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, are attending.
Local perspective:
A service on Wednesday drew an outpouring of support from across New York, with hundreds in attendance, including Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Community members and public officials alike paid tribute to Officer Islam’s legacy of service, sacrifice, and love for his family. Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who visited Islam’s family the day prior, was also there.
"There were moments that stayed with me," NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said. "Moments like when Officer Islam’s sister's asked me, ‘Who will we call bhaiya now?’ Or when his brother-in-law told me it was Officer Islam who brought him to this country, who helped him get his first learner’s permit, his first job."
Victims’ funerals begin
Midtown shooting victims? funerals begin
As investigators worked in both New York and Las Vegas, one of the victims, real estate firm worker Julia Hyman, was buried after a packed, emotional Wednesday service at a Manhattan synagogue.
As investigations unfolded on both coasts, in New York and Las Vegas, the city began laying its victims to rest.
On Wednesday, family and friends of Julia Hyman gathered at a packed, emotional service at a Manhattan synagogue.
The 27-year-old, who worked for Rudin Management on the 33rd floor of the building where the shooting occurred, was remembered by her uncle Rob Pittman as someone who lived "with wide open eyes" and "courage and conviction." A 2020 graduate of Cornell University, Hyman had been a standout athlete at Riverdale Country School, where she captained the soccer, swimming, and lacrosse teams her senior year.
Aland Etienne
At the union office where he worked, colleagues and loved ones of Aland Etienne came together to remember the 46-year-old security guard, who was shot while stationed at the lobby desk. Etienne, who was unarmed, leaves behind a wife and two children.
"We lost a hero," said his younger brother Smith Etienne. "He didn’t wear no cape. Had no fancy gear. He wore a security officer’s uniform."
Funeral arrangements for Etienne and the fourth victim, Wesley LePatner, an executive at Blackstone’s real estate income trust, have not yet been made public.
A city in mourning
Dig deeper:
Islam was one of four people killed in the shooting rampage by 27-year-old Julian Heymann. The other victims include:
- Julia Hyman, 27, a graduate of Cornell University who worked at Rudin Management, remembered as someone who lived "with wide open eyes."
- Aland Etienne, 46, a Haitian immigrant and aspiring filmmaker known for his work ethic and devotion to family.
- Wesley LePatner, 43, a Yale graduate, mother of two, and prominent real estate executive.
One other victim, an employee of the NFL's finance department, survived the attack. Shot in the back while trying to flee, he was reportedly still on work calls while being transported to the hospital. He remains in stable condition.