A man, age 63, from Tinley Park, Illinois, was apprehended on Sunday, January 21, 2024, following allegations of fatally shooting his wife and their three adult daughters.
The accused, Maher Kassem, is suspected of killing his 53-year-old wife, Majeda Kassem, and their three daughters, Halema and Zahia, both 25, and Hanan, 24, amidst a domestic dispute.
The incident came to the notice of the Tinley Park authorities when Maher Kassem dialed 911 to report the shooting himself.
Officers who responded to the call arrived at the Kassem family residence, located on the 7400 block of West 173rd Street, approximately at 11:20 a.m. They found the victims, each having suffered multiple gunshot wounds, deceased at the scene.
Maher Kassem was arrested without any confrontation, and a firearm, suspected to be the murder weapon, was retrieved from the premises.
He now stands accused of four counts of first-degree murder. The police have yet to disclose any specific details about the motive or the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting, other than stating that it happened during an argument.
The couple’s 19-year-old son was at home during the incident but remained unharmed.
The victims are remembered by those who knew them. Halema Kassem, a distinguished student at the Chicago State University’s pharmacy school, and her twin sister Zahia were well-known for their high aspirations and intelligence.
Similarly, their younger sister, Hanan, and their mother, Majeda, were held in high esteem within the community. A neighbor, Charlotte Vaitkus, praised their intelligence and lofty life goals, recounting her daughter’s interactions with the family.
Police Chief Thomas Tilton of the Tinley Park Police Department stressed the ongoing nature of the investigation and the complexity of the case.
This incident is one of the most severe in Tinley Park since the 2008 Lane Bryant shootings.
