NBC New York’s Checkey Beckford reports.
A 45-year-old mother and two of her daughters were shot dead by the father of her youngest child after he came to the Brooklyn apartment to celebrate the birthday of the little girl the two shared, police and other officials said Tuesday.
It was their child -- who was apparently about to turn 9 or just did -- 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. The sisters, one in her early 20s, the other in her teens, had a different father by the same mother, officials have said.
The little girl, whose name has not been released, was found hiding in the family's apartment at the Van Dyke Houses, a senior NYPD official with direct knowledge of the investigation told News 4.
NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig on Tuesday described a horrific scene on Sutter Avenue 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,'" Essig said.
Another senior official says a preliminary investigation finds the suspect, now identified as 46-year-old Joseph McCrimon of Mount Vernon, had been in a domestic dispute with the girl's 45-year-old mother, Rasheeda Barzey.
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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 were pronounced dead at the scene. Two victims were found in a hall area and one in the living room. Essig said Barzey had had a 20-year relationship with the shooter and they had no prior domestic violence history or 911 calls involving them.
"It's been very rocky," Essig said of their relationship lately. "We know he left in an agitated state to meet her."
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea also watched the body camera video from the crime scene -- and expounded on what he saw, and felt, with emotion on Tuesday.
"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."
The shooter's body was discovered in a walkway outside the housing complex, officials said. Two firearms were recovered near his remains.
Authorities say they're investigating the shooting as a murder-suicide. Their probe is ongoing.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
