SYOSSET, NY - Authorities on Long Island announced that the gunman who killed four people and himself in a gruesome murder-suicide just days after the 95-year-old mother died was brought on by an inheritance dispute.
According to CBS News, the gunman, 51-year-old Joseph Delucia Jr., killed his niece and three siblings at his home on Wyoming Court two days after his mother, Theresa Martha Delucia, who also lived there, was laid to rest. Police said Delucia Jr., fired his pump action shotgun 12 times and killed his sister Joanne Kearns, 64, from Tampa, Florida; brother Frank Delucia, 69, from North Carolina; his other sister Tina Hammond, 64, and her daughter Victoria Hammond, 30, both of East Patchogue, New York.
Delucia Jr., was found dead in a chair on the front lawn with a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said in a statement, "41 years, that is probably one of the most horrific scenes I've ever seen, walking into that back room of that house where these four victims lie after being shot multiple times."
Police said that Delucia Jr., feared that he was being cut out of the mother's will. After Theresa's funeral at Calverton National Cemetery on Friday, August 23rd, the family had planned to sell her house. They were reportedly due to settle the will and meet with a realtor on the day of the murders, but Delucia Jr., did not want to move and became irate over his inheritance.
Nassau County Police Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick said, "The perception of Joseph Jr. was that he was being cut out of the will and was going to be displaced without a place to go. He did have past mental health issues, psychological issues, that were reported to us, that we still have not confirmed. Because of that perception, he decided that day to get a loaded Mossberg shotgun, 12 gauge, approach them in the rear area of the house, and from the kitchen fired 12 shots striking all four of them."
Neighbor Randi Marquis said, "His mom died. The real reason why this all happened was because he felt he was going to be homeless. That's it. He knew the realtor was coming." Neighbors knew Delucia Jr as someone who became volatile, but they said they never thought he would murder his family. They said that Delucia Jr. lived with his mother his entire life and that he has had occasional public outbursts. Police said that the siblings would have shared the proceeds amongst themselves after the sale of the house.
Ryder said, "As a community, we hear things. We know things. We see things and if we don't say something, sometimes the outcomes are like [what] we got yesterday. There was talk in the community about the distress of this shooter that he had decided he did not want to leave his residence after his mom died. There was talk in the community in the past that if you hear shots fired, don't call the police, it'll be too late."
According to police, the gun Delucia Jr. used to murder his four family members was registered. Fitzpatrick said, "But if he was reported to be mentally unstable, this may be illegal for him to possess." Marquis, the neighbor, added, "I totally agree with the commissioner, the police and everything, but I had no idea that this was coming. And not only that, the sister told me, 'Oh, he's talking nonsense again.'"
Mary Macaluso, a local realtor, told local newspaper Newsday that she was supposed to meet a group of relatives at the address to discuss selling the home after the death of its owner and the family matriarch. She said, "The kids were all here for the funeral and they asked me to come to look at the house. One of the siblings had reportedly asked for the meeting while other relatives were in town from Florida for the funeral." Police said they had one prior call to Delucia's house in 2022, for a welfare check, but Delucia Jr's. behavior at that time did not prompt police to take any further action.
According to CBS News, the gunman, 51-year-old Joseph Delucia Jr., killed his niece and three siblings at his home on Wyoming Court two days after his mother, Theresa Martha Delucia, who also lived there, was laid to rest. Police said Delucia Jr., fired his pump action shotgun 12 times and killed his sister Joanne Kearns, 64, from Tampa, Florida; brother Frank Delucia, 69, from North Carolina; his other sister Tina Hammond, 64, and her daughter Victoria Hammond, 30, both of East Patchogue, New York.
Delucia Jr., was found dead in a chair on the front lawn with a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said in a statement, "41 years, that is probably one of the most horrific scenes I've ever seen, walking into that back room of that house where these four victims lie after being shot multiple times."
Police said that Delucia Jr., feared that he was being cut out of the mother's will. After Theresa's funeral at Calverton National Cemetery on Friday, August 23rd, the family had planned to sell her house. They were reportedly due to settle the will and meet with a realtor on the day of the murders, but Delucia Jr., did not want to move and became irate over his inheritance.
Nassau County Police Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick said, "The perception of Joseph Jr. was that he was being cut out of the will and was going to be displaced without a place to go. He did have past mental health issues, psychological issues, that were reported to us, that we still have not confirmed. Because of that perception, he decided that day to get a loaded Mossberg shotgun, 12 gauge, approach them in the rear area of the house, and from the kitchen fired 12 shots striking all four of them."
Neighbor Randi Marquis said, "His mom died. The real reason why this all happened was because he felt he was going to be homeless. That's it. He knew the realtor was coming." Neighbors knew Delucia Jr as someone who became volatile, but they said they never thought he would murder his family. They said that Delucia Jr. lived with his mother his entire life and that he has had occasional public outbursts. Police said that the siblings would have shared the proceeds amongst themselves after the sale of the house.
Ryder said, "As a community, we hear things. We know things. We see things and if we don't say something, sometimes the outcomes are like [what] we got yesterday. There was talk in the community about the distress of this shooter that he had decided he did not want to leave his residence after his mom died. There was talk in the community in the past that if you hear shots fired, don't call the police, it'll be too late."
According to police, the gun Delucia Jr. used to murder his four family members was registered. Fitzpatrick said, "But if he was reported to be mentally unstable, this may be illegal for him to possess." Marquis, the neighbor, added, "I totally agree with the commissioner, the police and everything, but I had no idea that this was coming. And not only that, the sister told me, 'Oh, he's talking nonsense again.'"
Mary Macaluso, a local realtor, told local newspaper Newsday that she was supposed to meet a group of relatives at the address to discuss selling the home after the death of its owner and the family matriarch. She said, "The kids were all here for the funeral and they asked me to come to look at the house. One of the siblings had reportedly asked for the meeting while other relatives were in town from Florida for the funeral." Police said they had one prior call to Delucia's house in 2022, for a welfare check, but Delucia Jr's. behavior at that time did not prompt police to take any further action.
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