In an emotional interview ahead of Thursday night’s NFL preseason opener between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the shooting earlier this week that targeted NFL headquarters, killing four.
Goodell wasn’t at the game, instead staying in New York City to attend the funeral of NYPD officer Didarul Islam, who died in the attack along with a security guard, a real estate firm employee and an investment firm executive.
“Tremendous loss,” Goodell said, reflecting on the death of Islam, a father of two with a third on the way.
“You see the officer’s family, his young children. It’s something that happens in the line of work for police officers, but that never makes it easy. He was made a detective first grade today. It’s an honor and a promotion, which is well deserved for his bravery. …
“It hits home — the loss, the unnecessary and unexplainable loss. … So, it was a difficult, emotional afternoon but also a tremendous, heartwarming service for him.”
An NFL employee was also seriously injured in the attack. Goodell said he spent about an hour with his co-worker Wednesday at a hospital in New York, describing his condition as “stable and improving.”
“He has a young family. I had a chance to meet his brother and parents, and I think it’s something that is really hard for all of us to understand and to deal with,” said Goodell, his voice quivering.
The 27-year-old shooter intended to target NFL headquarters but took the wrong elevator, officials said Tuesday. A note found on the gunman’s body claimed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease linked to repetitive head injuries like those suffered by NFL players.
The shooter played high school football several decades ago but never in the NFL.
Goodell didn’t address the CTE claim directly when asked by NBC’s Mike Tirico, instead lamenting the violence.
“There are no excuses for those senseless acts,” Goodell said. “They’re hard for all of us to understand when it inflicts pain on people you know and people you care about and people that we deal with on a daily basis. That’s particularly hard.
“But as you know, these acts of senseless violence and hatred are happening around our country, and our world, far too often — in schools, in churches and in synagogues, and other places,” Goodell continued. “This should just not be happening, but we all have to continue to be vigilant and do what we can to protect ourselves, and the NFL’s going to do that with our employees and with our people.”
