A terrifying incident unfolded in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday morning when a man went on a violent rampage, slashing four young girls with a meat cleaver. The man, identified as 49-year-old Lun Chang Chen, was later shot by police after he refused to drop the weapon and moved toward them in a threatening way.
11-Year-Old Girl Calls 911 and Saves Others
Police rushed to the home on 84th Street in the Bensonhurst area around 10:15 a.m. after receiving a call from an 11-year-old girl. The brave child had locked herself in a room and called 911, telling the dispatcher that her uncle had attacked her and her siblings.
When NYPD officers arrived at the apartment, they heard screams and kicked the door open. Inside, they saw a man holding a large blood-covered meat cleaver, with blood on the floor. Despite being ordered several times to drop the weapon, the man refused. He then moved toward the officers, prompting them to fire seven rounds. He was hit and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Four Girls Seriously Injured
The victims, all young girls aged 8, 11, 13, and 16, suffered serious slash and stab wounds. They were immediately rushed to Maimonides Medical Center for treatment. Thankfully, doctors expect all of them to survive.
A fifth child, a young boy, was also in the apartment earlier but managed to escape and ran for help when the attack began.
Motive Still Unknown
The motive behind the attack is still under investigation. The suspect, Lun Chang Chen, is believed to have lived in the house. Officials say he might be the uncle or father of some of the victims, but the relationships are still being confirmed. At the time of the attack, the children’s mother was reportedly not at home.
Eyewitnesses Describe Horrific Scene
Local residents were left shaken. A neighbour named Maria said she saw one of the girls “covered in blood from head to toe” come outside. Another resident, Humbert Huerta, described seeing the suspect being wheeled out on a stretcher, bleeding and without a shirt.
“This could have ended very differently,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at the scene, highlighting the quick and brave response of the officers.
State Assemblyman Lester Chang said that one of the victims might have been a babysitter, though this has not been officially confirmed.
