The husband and father of four women shot to death in their Tinley Park home has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, according to Tinley Park police.
Maher Kassem, 63, shot the women during an argument in their home Sunday in the 7400 block of West 173rd Street, officials said. Police had not previously named him as a suspect, but called the shootings a domestic incident.
Killed were his wife, Majeda Kassem, 53, and daughters Halema Kassem, 25, Zahia Kassem, 25, and Hanan Kassem, 24. They were pronounced dead at 11:36 a.m. Sunday, and the medical examiner later listed the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.
Police in a news release said that Maher Kassem called 911 and told police someone had been shot.
Responding officers found the four victims in the lower level of the home, police said.
Kassem made statements to police indicating he was responsible for the shootings, police said.
Outside the home where the shootings occurred, Tuiana Brown said Monday she was a classmate of Halema Kassem and both were in their third year of pharmacy school at Chicago State University.
“Halema was the sweetest person, a lovely young girl,” Brown said. “She was very kind, very helpful.”