Four children, all sisters, were found with “serious slash and stab wounds” after being attacked by a 49-year-old man in a New York residence over the weekend, the NYPD said.
The victims, ages 8,11,13, and 16, were found by police in a Bensonhurst, Brooklyn apartment on Sunday, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said at a press conference.
Police received a call around 10 a.m. from an 11-year-old girl who told them that “she and her siblings were stabbed by her uncle.” She hid in a room when she called 911.
The child informed them that she did not know the address, so the police used resources to track her location. Upon arrival, the officers heard screaming and forcibly entered the apartment.
“Once they entered, they encountered a man…holding a large meat cleaver covered in blood,” Tisch said. “And they could see blood on the floor and the walls.”
Man shot, all children survived the attack
Tisch said responding officers told the man to drop his weapon multiple times, but he failed to comply and “advanced” toward them. Then, officers fired seven total rounds, injuring the man.
The children were treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
NYPD investigating attack
Police are investigating the man’s connection to the victims, although they believe he’s a relative. They are also looking into a motive for the incident.
The man was also transported to the hospital in critical condition. Family members notified police that he has a history of mental illness, according to Tisch.
A neighbor told News 12 that he saw the injured children.
“Young girl, her whole body, a lot of blood,” George Jarama said, said to the outlet.
