'He Didn't Bring Presents': 9-Year-Old Girl Calls 911 After Her Mother, Sisters Killed By Her Father In Triple Murder-Suicide On Her Birthday
A gruesome and senseless tragedy.
A 45-year-old mother and two of her daughters were shot and killed by the father of her youngest child, New York City police officials confirmed on Tuesday, April 6. The suspect, Joseph McCrimon, 46, reportedly came to the Brooklyn apartment to celebrate the 9th birthday of the little girl before the night turned violent.
It was their child who called 911 late Monday to report the death of her mom and two older sisters at the hand of her father in Brownsville, the NYPD said. She was later found hiding in the family's apartment when police arrived.
NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig on Tuesday described a horrific scene the night before.
"The bodyworn camera of her calling 911 just breaks your heart, where she's saying, 'Daddy's coming for my birthday ... he didn't bring presents,'" he said.
Another senior official says a preliminary investigation finds McCrimon of Mount Vernon had been in a domestic dispute with the girl's mother, Rasheeda Barzey. At some point before 11:30 p.m., when cops were called to the scene, the official says McCrimon shot Barzey along with her two other daughters, 16-year-old Chloe Spears and 20-year-old Solei Spears.
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All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
Barzey had a 20-year relationship with the shooter, and they had no prior domestic violence history or 911 calls involving them, according to Essig, although he said their relationship lately had between "very rocky."
"We know he left in an agitated state to meet her," he said.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, who also watched the body camera video from the crime scene, echoed Essig's emotion.
"It will tear your heart out ... to see the young girl from that crime," Shea said. "My grandson is going to be 5 this July. I can't even imagine what I would do or the impact it would have on me."
Authorities say they're investigating the shooting as a murder-suicide. Their probe is ongoing.
