By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
SEVERAL individuals sustained serious injuries on Sunday morning during a violent stabbing attack at a New York residence.
Police shot the assailant, who had attacked four children in a Brooklyn home with a meat cleaver, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch during a briefing Sunday afternoon.
Around 10:15 a.m., the police department received a call about an ongoing assault at 1671 84th St. in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, Tisch said.
“The 11-year-old caller reported that she and her siblings had been stabbed by their uncle,” Tisch explained, noting that the child didn’t know her address, but officers were able to pinpoint it using technology.
Officers were allowed into the house by an uninjured child and heard screams from a door on their left. After kicking down the door, they found a man standing near the entrance holding a bloody meat cleaver, Tisch said.
“They also saw blood on the floor and walls inside the home,” she added.
The man, identified as 49-year-old Longqian Chen, was repeatedly told to drop the weapon but refused and moved toward the officers, authorities reported.
“Two officers fired their weapons, discharging seven rounds between them, striking the suspect and ending the threat,” Tisch said. She added that Chen was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Officers found four victims, all girls aged 8, 11, 13, and 16, who had suffered “serious slash and stab wounds.” They were taken to nearby hospitals where they are expected to survive.
Police also said that another child, an uninjured boy, was present at the home during the attack and went to a neighbor’s house to request a 911 call.
Authorities believe the attacker is related to the victims, but they are still investigating the exact familial connection.
Tisch praised the bravery of the 11-year-old girl, who managed to hide and call the police, as well as the boy who alerted the neighbor.
Two knives were recovered from the scene, and the motive is under investigation. Police indicated that the man has a history of mental illness, according to his family.
There were no previous reports of domestic violence at the residence, Tisch confirmed.
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