An 11-year-old girl is being hailed as a hero after calling 911 when she and her three sisters were stabbed in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday morning, police said.
The attack occurred around 10:15 a.m. at a home on 84th Street between 16th and 17th Avenues. The young girl, who had hidden in a room, told police that she and her sisters—ages 8, 13, and 16—had been stabbed by their uncle, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the suspect holding a “large meat cleaver covered in blood,” Tisch said during a press update on Sunday, according to local station WPIX.
Another child, who was not injured, had gone to a neighbor’s house for help and then led police into the building. Once inside, officers could hear screams from behind a closed door.
Police forced the door open and discovered a “horrific,” bloody scene, with the children injured and the suspect present. Officers repeatedly told the man to drop his weapon. When he didn’t comply, two officers fired seven shots, hitting the man at least once. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The four girls suffered serious stab and slash wounds. They were treated at the scene before being transported to a nearby hospital. All of the children are expected to survive.
Chief of Department John Chell praised the actions of the young girl who made the 911 call, as well as the child who alerted the neighbors. “There were five children in there, four hurt and a young man who so bravely went to the neighbors to alert the neighbors to call us. Also, that 11-year-old who made that [911] call—quite heroic on their behalf,” Chell said.
Police also found a second knife at the scene. The suspect’s relationship to the children and the motive for the attack are still under investigation.
Family members told police that the suspect has a history of mental illness, though there had been no previous reports of domestic violence at the home, authorities said. No additional details were immediately available.
