Tinley Park officials called the shootings "an act of senseless domestic violence". (Representative pic)
A man in the United States has been accused of fatally shooting his wife and three adult daughters in a small community outside Chicago on Sunday. According to ABC 7, Tinley Park police arrived at the scene after the man inside the home called 911 to report a mass slaughter. They found four women fatally wounded and described the incident as a "domestic-related shooting". The man, whose identity hasn't been revealed, was taken into custody and officials also recovered a firearm at the scene.
Tinley Park officials called the shootings "an act of senseless domestic violence". According to the outlet, they said that when they arrived on the scene, the suspect was found uninjured inside the home with a gun.
The Cook County Medical Examiner identified the victims as Majeda Kassem, 53, and her three daughters, 25-year-old twins, Halema and Zahia, and 24-year-old Hanan Kassem. Officials said that the incident was domestic in nature and did not present any harm to the general public.
"A male subject said his wife was shot. The line disconnected. He wasn't really cooperative," a 911 dispatcher said. They also called the scene a "massacre" when requesting more units.
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According to the New York Post, a neighbour who knew the family said that the news of the grisly crime was "shocking" to wake up to Sunday morning, given that the victims and alleged killer were "such a good family that had a bright future". "My daughter knows them," the neighbour said. "She went to school with the oldest son, and she employed the twin sisters. She always talked about how they were all very intelligent, and they had very high goals in life," they added.
Tinley Park said it hasn't had a crime like this since the murders of five women at a Lane Bryant store in 2008. "It's a tragedy," Village Manager Pat Carr said. "Not only for the family, but all the surrounding neighbors that are there," he added.
Mr Carr also stressed that there was no threat to the public. "This was isolated to the home. The scene is secure. There is only one suspect at this time," he said.