Four dead, baby survives, after man kills family and himself in Howard County
BALTIMORE-- Investigators are looking for the motive after a man killed three of his family members before confessing to a 911 dispatcher and turning the gun on himself in Howard County.
Officers swarmed the Belmont Station community in Elkridge, just off Route 1 near Route 100, shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls for gunshots, which they detailed in dispatch recordings obtained by WJZ.
"Caller heard gunshots and then screams. Five shots fired in the area of Norwood Ferry. Caller then saw lights go off," one dispatcher said. "A second caller heard six shots fired… caller heard banging sounds and then screaming."
Family members identified
Police said the shooting suspect, 61-year-old Nayyar Abbas Syed, did not live in the townhome in the 6900 block of Norwood Ferry, but his other relatives did, and he was a frequent visitor.
Police said he opened fire on them before shooting himself, but they do not know why he would commit such a horrific act.
Officers found six people inside the residence, including five who had been shot. A 3-month-old child was unharmed, police said.
The Syed's wife, 57-year-old Syeda Aalia Nayyar; 25-year-old daughter Syeda Fatima; and 33-year-old daughter-in-law Alizey Fatima, died at the home, police said.
Police said the 31-year-old son was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with critical injuries.
"The shooter, who is a 61-year-old male, shot his wife, his adult daughter, his adult son and the adult son's wife, his daughter-in-law," said Sherry Llewellyn, from the Howard County Police.
Syed's 3-month-old granddaughter was found unharmed in the home. She received a wellness check at the hospital and will be placed in the custody of a family member.
"We have a new call pending from MSP. They're on the line advising someone called in saying they have video footage of their father killing their family at this location," a dispatcher relayed. "They're also saying that the father possibly shot three to four people and video called the son during it. Father might still be armed. There is [sic] four to five people who are possibly deceased in the home. A three-month-old is alive in the house."
Later, an officer said, "We do hear a baby crying." Shortly after that, police announced, "The baby is out front with an officer." The child was checked out at the hospital and is now with a relative.
Confession
Police said the suspect called 911 himself and confessed. He later died at Saint Agnes Hospital.
"The 911 call is still part of this ongoing investigation, so we won't be able to release the recording at this time, but the dispatcher has indicated to us that when he called in, he did take responsibility for shooting the members of his family and advised he was preparing to shoot himself," Llewellyn told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.
Less than an hour after the shooting, an officer asks, "Can you have medics go ahead and bring the stretcher for one of the male subjects? He's still alive."
"Be supportive for the surviving family members "
Neighbors told Hellgren they were stunned by the crime and said the community is typically quiet.
"It's very hard when this occurs in a community where people know one another and they are familiar with each other, and it's something that's so shocking without forewarning," Llewellyn said. "Our message to the community is to stay as strong as they can and be supportive for the surviving family members who will need a lot of support in the coming weeks and months."
No prior calls for service
WJZ found no prior criminal records for the suspect in online court records.
Police said they had no prior calls for service at the home, and there were no signs of forced entry. They are looking at cell phone records and text messages as they work to determine the motive.
Call if you need help
The 24-hour suicide-and-crisis lifeline can be reached here.
