A 911 call reporting gunfire and a man shouting, “kill them, kill them,” brought NYPD officers to a Queens home Saturday, where moments later a fiery explosion tore through the residence and an armed suspect in tactical gear came outside, police said.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Keegan Thompson, was shot by police and taken into custody after the blast, NYPD Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh said. Investigators later found two family members dead inside the home.
Officers were called shortly after noon local time to the house on Ocean Crest Boulevard in Far Rockaway after a woman told dispatchers her husband was armed, according to McIntosh.
When responding officers reached the scene, they met the woman outside. She said she had heard shots, gone into a room and discovered a body on a bed before fleeing the home and dialing 911.
The woman also alerted officers that her husband had a shotgun, officials said.
Family members and neighbors gather near an FDNY ambulance as emergency crews investigate a shooting, explosion and police-involved shooting at a home in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on Saturday. (Peter Gerber)
Police secured the area, called in the NYPD Emergency Service Unit and made repeated efforts to reach the suspect, but no communication was established.
Around 12:15 p.m., just as ESU officers were preparing to go inside, a powerful explosion erupted from within the home, McIntosh said.
Fifteen to 20 seconds later, the suspect emerged from the burning home carrying a shotgun while wearing a tactical vest loaded with additional ammunition.
Officers repeatedly ordered the suspect to raise his hands and drop the weapon, police said. When he failed to comply and continued holding the shotgun, an officer fired, striking him.
He was taken into custody, and officers rendered aid before he was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
FILE — The NYPD said the incident remains under investigation and has not yet identified the two victims found dead inside the home. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
McIntosh said Thompson has no criminal history or history of mental illness documented by the NYPD.
Officers later found two dead family members inside the home. The victims have not been identified, and investigators are working to determine their causes of death.
As flames engulfed the house, responding officers evacuated neighboring homes to protect nearby residents.
Investigators have not determined what caused the explosion. When asked whether explosives were involved, McIntosh said the investigation remains ongoing.
The shooting was captured on officers’ body-worn cameras and is being investigated by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.
“The bravery of the officers who responded today cannot be overstated,” McIntosh said. “They responded to a 911 call not knowing what was waiting for them, and they ran toward the danger with no hesitation.”
