A mass stabbing occurred in New York City on Sunday morning.
The incident, according to the New York Post, left four dead, including two children.
It also left one other person and two police officers injured.
The incident took place on Sunday at a home in Far Rockaway, which is located in Queens, New York.
ABC News reports that, at around 5 a.m., a 911 call was made indicating that an assault was taking place at a home on Beach 22nd Street.
Per the outlet:
"A young female caller stated that her cousin is killing her family members," NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said at a news conference describing the horrifying events. Officers responded to the location and approached a man they say was leaving the driveway of the residence with luggage.
The man has been identified as 38-year-old Courtney Gordan.
When the police arrived, they attempted to speak to Gordan. But, it was to no avail. Within the first 10 seconds, Gordan struck two of them with a kitchen steak knife, stabbing one in the neck and the other in the head, before an officer opened fire and fatally shot him.
By this point, though, the damage had already been done.
Police officers initially found an 11-year-old girl lying on the ground outside of the residence with stab wounds. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. The police then proceeded to search the house.
This was complicated by the fact that Gordan set a couch on fire before leaving the residence. So, the police had to wait for the fire to be extinguished before they could search the residence. But, after the fire was put out, officers discovered three more deceased victims: a 12-year-old boy, a 44-year-old woman, and a 30-year-old man. All had fatal stab wounds.
The police also found a 61-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition. It is unclear whether she is going to survive her injuries.
The two officers who were injured during the incident are reported to have critical but stable injuries. Both, at the time of this writing, have been released from the hospital.
Now, the police are investigating the incident to determine what may have driven Gordon to do this. The Post reports that Gordan "was arrested less than a year ago in the Bronx for domestic violence" and that he "was visiting with the relatives when he carried out the gruesome killings."
