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A 59-year-old man is suspected of killing his siblings and niece in their parents’ house in a Long Island apartment building over the weekend and then turning the gun on himself on the lawn in front of the house. It appears to have been a murder-suicide.
At 11:58 a.m. Sunday, police arrived at a home in Syosset, New York, after receiving reports of gunshots, according to the Nassau County Police Department. They discovered a man outside the home who appeared to have inflicted a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
Police later found four victims with numerous gunshot wounds in the back of the house.
“This is probably one of the most horrific scenes I have ever seen in 41 years,” Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a press conference Monday that was recorded and broadcast by Fox 5 New York.
5 dead: suspect and victim identified
The 59-year-old man was identified as Joseph Delucia on Monday, according to the press conference.
The victims were the suspect’s siblings and niece, according to Stephen Fitzpatrick, Detective Captain of the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Unit. They were identified as:
- Joann Kearns, 69, sister, lived in Tampa, Florida
- Frank Delucia, 64, brother, lived in Durham, North Carolina
- Tina Hamnond, 64, sister who lived in East Patchogue, New York
- Victoria Hamnond, 30, Hamnond’s daughter and the suspect’s niece, who also lived in East Patchogue.
USA TODAY has contacted the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department for additional information.
Shock and heartache
According to reports from News 4 and Fox 5 New York, neighbors were shocked by what happened in the house.
“It’s really heartbreaking. This is such a quiet little neighborhood that they used to call them bedroom communities. It’s shocking,” a neighbor told Fox 5.
The original homeowner died a week earlier
The original homeowner was Theresa Martha DeLucia, who died on August 19, News 4 reported. She lived in the house with her adult sons, Wendy Paisner, a neighbor who lives across the street from the house, told the news agency.
According to Fox 5 New York, the family had met on the evening of the shooting to discuss a possible sale of the house.
Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered a variety of topics, from local business and government in her hometown of Miami to technology and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz
