Violent stabbing in Queens ends in fatal police confrontation

On December 3, a man armed with a steak knife fatally stabbed four members of his extended family, including two children, at a residence in New York City’s Queens borough. Police later shot and killed the suspect.

The New York City Police Department was notified of the attack in the Far Rockaway neighborhood by a girl who reported that “her cousin is killing her family members”.

Responding police officers were stabbed by the 38-year-old suspect, who was subsequently shot dead by one of the officers. The two injured officers were taken to the hospital and were expected to recover.

A knife found at the scene lies on pavement after a man, who was later shot dead by police, killed four members of his extended family, including two children, and stabbed two police officers at a home in the Queens borough of New York City, U.S. December 3, 2023. NYPD/Handout via REUTERS
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A fifth person, a 61-year-old woman, also suffered stab wounds and was in critical condition at the hospital.

The suspect started a fire in the living room, which required officers to await the fire department’s arrival before entering the home.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker

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Kanishka Singh is a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington DC, who primarily covers US politics and national affairs in his current role. His past breaking news coverage has spanned across a range of topics like the Black Lives Matter movement; the US elections; the 2021 Capitol riots and their follow up probes; the Brexit deal; US-China trade tensions; the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan; the COVID-19 pandemic; and a 2019 Supreme Court verdict on a religious dispute site in his native India.