Man kills siblings and niece in apparent murder-suicide after house sale

Five people died in an apparent murder-suicide at a home on Long Island, New York, on Sunday, August 25, just moments before they were scheduled to meet with a real estate agent to discuss selling the family home, authorities said.

The suspected shooter, Joseph DeLucia Jr., 59, was distraught over the recent death of his 95-year-old mother and that his Syosset home, where he lived with her, was going to be sold, Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick of the Nassau County Police Department said at a news conference followed by PEOPLE on Monday, August 26.

“Joseph Jr. felt like he was being cut out of the will and had no place to go,” Fitzpatrick explained.

“It was because of that perception” that DeLucia killed his family, he continued, pointing out that DeLucia “had mental health issues in the past, psychological issues that were reported to us and that we did not confirm.”

Theresa DeLucia, 95, died on August 19 and her funeral was held on August 23.

“Three days later, this incident occurred,” Fitzpatrick said during the conference.

On Sunday, just before noon, the man's siblings and niece gathered at the house to meet with a real estate agent, he noted.

“They brought Starbucks and gathered in the living room,” he said. “The brother (DeLucia) stayed behind.”

While they were waiting for the realtor that day, “DeLucia decided to get a loaded 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, approached them in the back of the house, and fired 12 shots from the kitchen, all four of which hit multiple times,” Fitzpatrick recalled.

Nassau County Police Chief Patrick Ryder said it was one of the “most horrific” crime scenes he had ever seen during the conference.

The victims were identified as Joanne Kearns, 69, of Tampa, Florida, Frank DeLucia, 64, of Durham, North Carolina, Tina Hammond, 64, of East Patchogue, New York, and her daughter Victoria Hammond, 30, also of East Patchogue.

Officers responding to a report of shots fired at the Wyoming Avenue home found DeLucia on the front lawn, Fitzpatrick said.

“Then he took the gun, went out into the front yard and started yelling randomly about what had happened,” he said. “A neighbor heard him and called 911, and that was our emergency caller. Then he shot himself in the chest, killing himself.”

A Nassau County Police paramedic pronounced all five victims dead at the scene, the police department said in a statement.

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Police were called to DeLucia's home once before in 2022 to conduct a health check, Fitzgerald said.

At that point, however, DeLucia had “shown no signs of being a danger to himself or others” and he could be hospitalized “against his will” for a psychiatric evaluation, he said.

Ryder also said this was “unconfirmed, but neighbors have reported that (DeLucia) has stated in the past that people should not bother calling 911 if they hear gunshots because it will be too late.”

Surviving relatives told police that DeLucia would not be left out of the will, NBC New York reported.

“If anyone thinks someone is having problems, they should call us,” Fitzpatrick said. “We're not saying this incident could have been prevented, but maybe it could have been.”

He stated that DeLucia was in legal possession of the pump-action shotgun.

“However, if he has been reported to have mental instability, possession of this drug may be illegal,” Fitzpatrick noted.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or going to 988lifeline.org.