4 family members stabbed to death inside Queens home; Suspect fatally shot by police
NEW YORK -- A violent rampage rocked Far Rockaway, Queens on Sunday morning.
Police said a man stabbed his own family to death, killing four people, including two children, before attacking two responding officers.
READ MORE: Family of suspect in Queens stabbings say he suffered from mental health issues
A long driveway leading up to homes off of Beach 22nd Street was opened up and CBS New York saw some of the wreckage left behind from the early morning disturbing chain of events.
Neighbors on Beach 22nd Street awoke to a crime scene with the sound of gunshots just after 5 a.m. Police said a girl called 911 saying her cousin stabbed and killed her family members. One neighbor saw the girl outside.
"The girl, I seen her running with no shoes on. She wasn't saying anything. She was running trying to get help," the neighbor said.
Police said the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Courtney Gordon of the Bronx, was visiting family at the Far Rockaway home. Two responding officers found him at the end of the driveway carrying luggage.
"They engaged him in a short, casual conversation, 'Hey, did you hear anything? Do you know what's going on?' And the male kind of nodded and then he drew a knife off his person and immediately attacked both officers, slashed the first officer in the neck and the second officer in the head," NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.
One officer, a 28-year veteran, shot and killed Gordon. At the home, police found an 11-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy, a 44-year-old woman, and a man in his 30s all dead with stab wounds.
They also found a 61-year-old woman with stab wounds who was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Watch Jenna DeAngelis' report
Police said before Gordon walked out of the home, he set a couch by the front door on fire. Police had to wait for firefighters to arrive before they could go inside.
A neighbor across the street, who didn't want to be identified, heard arguing outside the home the night before.
"I put my ear near the window and I just heard a guy just ranting," the neighbor said.
"Whatever happened was terrible, especially what happened to the kids," neighbor Amisha Paul added.
Paul's family lives a couple doors down and had to evacuate because of the fire. She and her neighbors said they are heartbroken by the tragedy.
Walter White's young daughter often played with the two children who died.
"The kids that live in that area are very nice kids," White said. "We play at the park every day and it's really unfortunate."
Watch Kristie Keleshian's report
Police said Gordon had one prior arrest -- for strangling someone in a domestic incident in the Bronx.
While some officers remained on scene Sunday night, others lined up outside Jamaica Hospital to show support for one of their injured brothers who was released. He gave a thumb's up to show he's okay.
"These two police officers, without hesitation, they responded to this job, putting themselves in harm's way," said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association. "This is a tough day. We're not going to celebrate. So many lives lost, a whole family wiped out."
Police said the 61-year-old woman who was also stabbed is in critical condition and the second officer suffered a laceration to his face and is recovering.