A terrifying and tragic event unfolded in New York City early Sunday morning, leaving a community and the nation in shock.
Five individuals, including four family members, were fatally stabbed, and two police officers were critically injured before the assailant was shot and killed by the police.
The New York Police Department responded to a distressing call from a teenage girl around 5:10 a.m., leading them to a multi-family home in Queens. The call indicated a man was attacking family members, a situation that rapidly escalated upon police arrival.
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey detailed the confrontation during a press conference:
"As they get to the driveway they see a male walking out. He’s carrying luggage. The officers asked the male a question or two, an encounter that lasted about 10 seconds, where the male draws a knife on our officers. He stabs one officer in the neck/chest area and strikes the second officer in the head."
In the aftermath of the assault on the officers, a veteran cop with nearly three decades of service on the force shot and killed Gordon.
Complicating the initial police response, the assailant had set a fire in the home before his attempted escape. The fire department had to be called in to extinguish the flames before the officers could enter the building.
Once inside, the officers discovered a horrifying scene: five stabbed victims, four of whom were already dead. The deceased included a 12-year-old boy, a man in his 30s, and a 44-year-old woman.
In front of the house, officers found an 11-year-old girl who had been injured and a 61-year-old woman in critical condition. Both were transported to a local hospital. However, the young girl did not survive her injuries.
The two injured officers, currently in critical but stable condition, were transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
Gordon was also transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The identities of the deceased have not been released, but according to the NYPD, all victims appear to be related.
Patrick Hendry, the Police Benevolent Association President, expressed his shock and concern during a press conference.
"This shows that police officers never know what they’re responding to, what’s awaiting them on that scene. This scene was chaos; multiple victims, a house on fire and a madman on a rampage, on a mission."
The incident represents one of the most violent domestic incidents in recent New York City history, sparking a wave of shock and mourning throughout the community and beyond.
