On December 3, 2023, a stabbing incident in Far Rockaway, Queens, NY, left four family members dead, including two children, and another critically injured. The perpetrator, Courtney Gordon, 38, also inflicted injuries on two NYPD officers before being fatally shot by the police.
Responding to a 5 a.m. emergency call from a young girl, NYPD officers arrived at a residence at 467 Beach 22nd Street. They found Gordon in the driveway with luggage, indicating an attempt to flee after the attack. An unexpected confrontation occurred when Gordon attacked the officers with a knife, injuring one in the neck and another in the head. One of the officers responded by shooting Gordon, who was later declared dead at Jamaica Hospital. The officers, veterans of the NYPD, are recovering from their injuries.
Upon entering the home, emergency responders discovered a critically injured 11-year-old girl outside, who was later pronounced dead at Long Island Medical Center-Cohen. Inside, firefighters, called due to a fire set in the living room by Gordon, found three more victims—a 44-year-old woman, a man in his 30s, and a 12-year-old boy—dead from stab wounds. A 61-year-old woman, also stabbed, was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in critical condition.
A Bronx resident, Gordon was visiting his family in Queens. He had previously been arrested for domestic violence strangulation. The NYPD is handling the incident as a case of domestic violence.
