On a day that should have been routine, Idrissa Camara, a 53-year-old security guard, tragically lost his life while on duty at a federal building in Manhattan on August 21, 2015. Camara was working an extra shift at 201 Varick Street, a building that houses an immigration court and a passport processing center, a testament to his dedicated work ethic.
Originally from the Ivory Coast, he had immigrated to the United States over two decades prior in search of a better life for himself and his family, to whom he often sent money. He was a husband and a father to three young children.
The ordinary afternoon turned tragic when Kevin Downing, a 68-year-old former federal employee, entered the building. Downing, who had been fired from his job at the Bureau of Labor Statistics years earlier, approached the security screening area where Camara was stationed. Without warning, Downing shot Camara at close range. After the fatal shooting, Downing proceeded past the metal detector and took his own life. Idrissa Camara was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to his injuries about an hour later.
The investigation into the tragic event revealed that the shooter, Kevin Downing, acted alone. As Downing died by suicide at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with Camara's death. Federal documents indicated that Downing had previously filed an appeal after his termination, claiming he was a whistleblower. The incident was a profound loss for Camara's family, friends, and colleagues, who remembered him as a courageous and kind man with an infectious smile. He was posthumously awarded a director's citation from the Federal Protective Service for his service.
