Retired Durham firefighter among five killed in NY murder-suicide

A retired Durham firefighter was among five people killed over the weekend in New York in a murder-suicide, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

Frank DeLucia died during the shooting around 11:58 a.m. Sunday at a home along Wyoming Avenue in Syosset on Long Island, police said. The 64-year-old was the brother of the shooter, according to Nassau County police.

“The membership from Local 668 mourns the loss of Retired Firefighter Frank DeLucia,” the Professional Firefighters of Durham wrote in a Facebook post. “He was an exceptional firefighter and very well liked amongst the members. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

Authorities identified the other victims as:

• Joanne Kearns, sister of the shooter, 69, of Tampa, Florida
• Tina Hammond, sister of the shooter, 64, of East Patchogue, New York
• Victoria Hammond, niece of the shooter, 30, of East Patchogue, New York

Police said Joseph DeLucia Jr. shot the victims before turning the gun on himself. He was 59.

“[In] 41 years, that is probably one of the most horrific scenes I’ve seen,” Police Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department Patrick Ryder said.

According to police, the shooting occurred three days after the funeral of Theresa Delucia, Joseph and Frank’s mother who passed away on Aug. 19. Police said DeLucia Jr. was of the mentality that he was going to be cut out of the will and left without a place to go.

“Because of that perception, he decided to get a loaded Mossberg shotgun, approach them from the rear of the house and, while they were in the kitchen, fired 12 shots, hitting them multiple times,” Nassau County Police Detective Stephen Fitzpatrick said. “He then took the weapon, went out on the front lawn, was shouting indiscriminately about what had happened … and then shot himself in the chest and killed himself.”

Police said surviving relatives said DeLucia Jr. was not being cut out of the will and was being taken care of.

Police said DeLucia Jr. had past mental issues, but they were still investigating if that played a factor in the shooting, adding they were trying to confirm reports from neighbors that he had said he was making threats long before the shooting.

“There was talk in that community that he did not want to leave the residence after his mom died,'” Ryder said. “There was talk in the community in the past that [he said], ‘if you hear shots fired, don’t call the police, it’ll be too late.'”

Police said the family did have surviving members, who have been notified.

The investigation is ongoing, with police adding they’re looking into where DeLucia Jr. purchased the shotgun.