NEW YORK, NY – A veteran Port Authority police officer fatally shot his sister and critically wounded their elderly mother inside a Bronx apartment before turning the gun on himself, authorities said.
The murder-suicide unfolded around 8 a.m. Thursday when a building employee heard gunshots and called 911. Police responding to the apartment found the 55-year-old officer and his 59-year-old sister both dead from gunshot wounds to the head.
Their 86-year-old mother was discovered in another room with a gunshot wound to her face. She was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical but stable condition.
The officer, whose identity has not been released, was a 20-year veteran of the Port Authority Police Department and most recently worked at LaGuardia Airport. His Port Authority identification was found near his body in the hallway, along with a firearm. A second weapon was also recovered from the apartment.
The sister’s body was found in a bedroom while the officer was discovered in the hallway. Investigators are still trying to piece together what led to the violence.
According to a neighbor named Jane Burbank, the sister had lived in the apartment for years. Their mother had recently moved in with her.
Burbank described the sister as “a wonderful person” who “loved to dance” and “loved to get people together.” She expressed shock at the tragic turn of events.
The Port Authority Police Department released a statement acknowledging the incident but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
