Queens knife attack kills four members of same family and injures cops

New York, New York - A man with a knife killed four members of the same family and wounded two police officers before being shot dead himself, authorities in New York said Sunday.

Police arrived at the scene in Queens, New York, where a 38-year-old with a knife attacked and killed four members of the same family.
Police arrived at the scene in Queens, New York, where a 38-year-old with a knife attacked and killed four members of the same family.  © IMAGO / TheNews2

Police have yet to determine the man's motive, but the rampage appeared related to a domestic dispute.

Officers were sent to a home in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough early Sunday after a woman called the emergency number to say that a cousin was killing members of her family, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey told reporters.

Two officers arrived at the scene and saw a man leaving the house. When they approached him, the 38-year-old suspect lunged at them with a knife before one of the officers opened fire, killing him.

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Outside the house, the officers found a gravely wounded 11-year-old child, who was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.

A fire in the house temporarily prevented police from entering, but once they did, three other victims were discovered – a 12-year-old child, a woman of 44 and a man in his 30s, according to Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

Another victim, a 61-year-old woman, was hospitalized with serious stab wounds.

The injured officers were also hospitalized, but were expected to recover.

Police said the suspect, who lived in New York's Bronx borough, had been arrested previously over a domestic violence incident.

Cover photo: IMAGO / TheNews2

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