A 49-year-old man was shot by police on Sunday morning after he purportedly went on a rampage within a Brooklyn apartment, attacking four young girls with a meat cleaver. The ordeal ended when officers approached the man and fired, taking him out of commission.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch verified that the victims, 16, 13, 11, and 8 years old, suffered serious injuries but are likely to survive. The savage attack was revealed when an 11-year-old girl, injured and frightened, barricaded herself in a room and called 911. She told authorities that her uncle had stabbed her and her siblings, as reported by the Associated Press.
The 911 operator was able to trace the emergency call that was made approximately 10:15 a.m., which directed police to the address on 84th Street in Bensonhurst. The officers, upon arrival, were led into the building by an uninjured young boy. “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 told a press briefing, according to CBS News.
Within the apartment, police met Long Qian Chen with a large meat cleaver smeared with blood. “Two officers fired their weapons, firing seven total rounds between them and hitting the subject, neutralizing the threat,” Tisch added. Another blood-covered knife was also found at the scene.
The suspect was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Although authorities continue to investigate the motive, CBS News indicated that Chen’s family revealed he has a history of mental illness.
The New York Post released photos of the horrific aftermath, one of which is one of the young girls totally covered in blood. Officials think Chen is either the children’s uncle or perhaps their father.
