Police have identified the man who killed his family and took his own life in a horrific murder-suicide on Thursday, while locals tell amNewYork they are still stunned by the senseless slaughter.
According to NYPD sources, 44-year-old Kaseem Stukes allegedly murdered his family on the 5th floor of their Castle Hill apartment on Nov. 6 with a gun. Neighbors found Stukes’ 75-year-old mother, Theresa Stukes, his 26-year-old daughter, Kianna Stukes, and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Andrew Reynoso, who was found by the front door. Kaseem Stukes was found on the couch with a gunshot wound. A firearm was recovered from his body.
It is unclear why he committed the horrendous crime.
The perpetrator had a rocky history with law enforcement, having been arrested on gun charges in the past.
Those who knew his mother, Theresa, referred to her as one of the “golden girls” of the apartment complex, describing her as energetic and kind.
“Very energized, she always had a positive vibe, always had a smile on her face. She was just a very loving person,” Luis Roland remembered of his neighbor. “It’s heartbreaking right now.”
Another senior, who identified herself as Cookie and said she was good friends with Theresa, told amNewYork that she couldn’t believe her friend was gone and was nearly lost for words.
“I just know Therese is dead. I know her granddaughter’s dead, her boyfriend is dead,” Cookie said, shaken. “We just sit out there on the bench in the summer, and we call ourselves the Golden Girls. She’s a very nice lady. I got a phone call from one of the Golden Girls, she called me and told me to go upstairs and see about Theresa, because another girl came and told her that they were all in the apartment dead. And I went up and found out that it was true. And I’m just devastated.”
“I have known her for about 30 years,” another woman said as she rushed into the building. “I found out from her daughter.”
Many of the residents turned to one another for comfort following the tragedy. The mother of one of the victims could be seen having to be physically escorted from the premises as she wept profusely.
“She just lost her daughter!” one man yelled.
Police sources reported that there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment and believe that Kaseem Stukes was the only perpetrator.
