Portside

When the deadliest shooting in New York City in 25 years unfolded earlier this week, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, was in a less than ideal position to respond: He was at the tail end of a 10-day trip to Uganda to celebrate his recent marriage.

Some critics and Democratic rivals like former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is running for mayor on a third-party line, pounced on Mr. Mamdani for taking an extended vacation during the general election campaign.

But upon Mr. Mamdani’s return to New York on Wednesday, he moved swiftly to change the narrative.

Shortly after landing at Kennedy International Airport, Mr. Mamdani was seen entering the home of Police Officer Didarul Islam, who was killed in the mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan on Monday. Mr. Mamdani was holding flowers.

The candidate stayed with the officer’s family for roughly an hour before leaving the home through a side door, appearing solemn as he avoided reporters outside the house in the Parkchester section of the Bronx. He could be seen embracing a family member before entering his vehicle.

Mr. Mamdani planned to address the shooting at a news conference in the afternoon with two groups whose members had been killed in the attack: the union that represents building workers and the Bangladeshi American Police Association.

The news conference will be held at the Manhattan headquarters of the union, 32BJ SEIU, which endorsed Mr. Mamdani. One of its members, Aland Etienne, was an unarmed security officer who was killed in the shooting.

The other two shooting victims were Wesley LePatner, an executive at the investment firm Blackstone; and Julia Hyman, an employee at Rudin Management. The police identified the assailant as Shane Tamura, who claimed that he was suffering from a degenerative brain disease that he blamed on playing high school football. Mr. Tamura died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Mr. Mamdani will also be joined by Shamsul Haque, a founder of the Bangladeshi American Police Association and a retired police lieutenant commander. Officer Islam was a member of the group and one of many Bangladeshi officers on the force.

While in Uganda, Mr. Mamdani released statements expressing sadness about the shooting and honoring Officer Islam, who was Muslim and an immigrant with South Asian roots, like Mr. Mamdani.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Mr. Mamdani said that Officer Islam had made his family proud: “I pray for him, his family, and honor the legacy of service and sacrifice he leaves behind.”

Still, criticism came from Mr. Cuomo and others about Mr. Mamdani’s absence during the attack and his past comments in support of defunding the police. 

Mr. Cuomo did a series of media interviews on Tuesday attacking Mr. Mamdani and arguing that his past support for the “defund the police” movement was disqualifying. Mr. Mamdani embraced calls to defund the police in 2020 but no longer supports doing so.

Mr. Mamdani’s campaign said that Mr. Cuomo’s comments were inappropriate in the wake of the shooting when families were grieving: “This is a moment for compassion and solidarity, not cheap shots in the press,” a campaign spokeswoman said.

Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer who is running for re-election on a third-party line, has sought to play the role of crisis manager, visiting the scene of the shooting and the hospital where Officer Islam died. He has provided updates about the investigation in national television interviews and attended a vigil for the victims in Bryant Park on Tuesday night with Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Mr. Adams said on CNBC on Wednesday that Mr. Mamdani’s past comments that he would eliminate a police unit known as the Strategic Response Group had been “extremely dangerous.”

“A lack of knowledge and understanding of these roles really could harm law enforcement,” the mayor said, adding: “We should never endanger public safety in the city. It’s not an experiment, it’s experience.”

Wesley Parnell and Jeffery C. Mays contributed reporting.

Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief for The Times, covering Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.