New York stabbing attack: Four killed in Queens neighbourhood as police shoots suspect dead

Four people, including two children, were killed in the Far Rockaway neighbourhood of Queens, New York in what is believed to be a stabbing attack. Three others sustained injuries in the harrowing incident that took place on Sunday (Dec 3). The suspect died from injuries after being shot by the police. 

At approximately 05:10 local time (10:10 GMT), the New York Police Department received a distressing 911 call from a young female, urgently reporting that her cousin was in the midst of a homicidal rampage and was "killing her family members."

Responding promptly to the call, two officers arrived at the address on Beach 22nd Street. After reaching the crime spot, the law enforcement personnel encountered a male suspect exiting the residence. He was carrying luggage along with him, reports indicated. 

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Things took a horrific turn when the police reportedly tried to hold a conversation with the man. The man brandished a knife and started launching a frenzied attack on the police officers.

Reports suggest that the suspect stabbed one officer in the neck and chest area while another officer was stabbed in the head by the man. Faced with imminent danger, one of the officers resorted to using his firearm, shooting the man in an attempt to neutralise the threat. The man, when taken to the hospital, was declared dead by the doctors. The identified suspect, 39-year-old Courtney Gordon, had a prior arrest record related to domestic violence in the Bronx County.

Law enforcement units rushed to the scene

Additional law enforcement units were rushed to the scene. At the front of the residence, an 11-year-old girl was found.

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Despite immediate medical intervention, she succumbed to her injuries. Subsequent investigations led emergency responders to the interior of the house, where the dead bodies of a 12-year-old boy, a 44-year-old female, and a male in his 30s were found.

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Moreover, a 61-year-old female, bearing multiple stab wounds, was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital for urgent medical attention. A chilling detail emerged as law enforcement recovered a kitchen steak knife from the gruesome crime scene.

(With inputs from agencies)