A 49-year-old man was shot by police on Sunday morning after he allegedly went on a violent rampage with a meat cleaver inside a Brooklyn apartment, slashing and stabbing four young girls before being confronted by officers.
According to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the victims — aged 16, 13, 11, and 8 — sustained serious injuries but are expected to survive. As per news agency AP, the attack was reported around 10:15 am (local time) when the 11-year-old girl, wounded and terrified, locked herself in a room and called 911, saying her uncle had stabbed her and her siblings.
The 911 operator used location tracking to pinpoint the address on 84th Street in Bensonhurst. When officers arrived, an uninjured boy led them inside. “At that point, the officers heard screams coming from behind the door to their left and immediately began forcing their way into the apartment,” Tisch said at a press briefing, reported CBS News.
Inside, police encountered the suspect, identified as Long Qian Chen, holding a large bloodied meat cleaver. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon, but he advanced toward them. “Two officers discharged their firearms, firing seven total rounds between them and striking the subject, ending the threat,” Tisch stated.
Authorities also found a second bloodied knife at the scene. The suspect was rushed to hospital in critical condition. A motive is yet to be confirmed, but CBS News cited family members who said Chen has a history of mental illness.
“This could have ended very differently,” Tisch noted, praising the 11-year-old for her bravery. “She hid in a room to call the police.” She also confirmed a fifth child, a young boy, ran outside to get help.
As per the New York Post, disturbing images showed one of the girls covered in blood from head to toe outside the building. A neighbour, identified only as Maria, said, “I was shaking. I’m still shaking now… The two girls were just covered in blood.”
Another neighbour, Humbert Huerta, saw the suspect being wheeled out: “They brought out a guy on a stretcher, all bloody without a shirt… They shot him twice.”
Officials believe Chen may be the uncle or possibly the father of some of the children. Tisch confirmed the mother was not home at the time of the attack.
State Assemblyman Lester Chang told reporters that one of the victims may have been a babysitter. The investigation is ongoing.
