Horrifying details revealed in court after mom, 3 daughters shot in Tinley Park (2024)

Horrifying new details were revealed in court Tuesday surrounding the moments before a Tinley Park man allegedly shot and killed his wife and three daughters in a gruesome scene witnessed by his teenage son, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, 63-year-old Maher Kassem called 911 in the moments after he killed several members of his family Sunday morning, telling dispatchers only that his wife had been shot but offering no further information.

As officers arrived at his home in the 7400 block of West 173rd Place, Kassem directed them to the basem*nt, saying things like "they're gone" and "everything is ok." When an officer asked if anyone was shot, Kassem replied by saying there were four people shot and "I'm going to jail," prosecutors said in a bond proffer Tuesday.

When asked if he was responsible for the shooting, Kassem apparently nodded his head yes and said "I'm the only one" before leading police to two weapons in the home, the proffer stated.

As officers entered the basem*nt, police discovered the bodies of four women, Kassem's 53-year-old wife and three adult daughters, who were between the ages of 24 and 25. They also found Kassem's 19-year-old son, who was alive and not harmed in the shooting.

The teen told authorities he woke up shortly before the inicident unfolded and heard his father arguing with his 25-year-old sister. As the arguing grew louder, the teen left his room and went to the basem*nt, where he saw his mother, sisters and father shouting.

Kassem's wife and two daughters were trying to calm him down while his third sister continued to argue, prosecutors said, citing the teen's recount of what happened.

The teen said his father traveled up and down from the basem*nt multiple times as the arguing continued, but at one point, he heard gunshots and the arguing turned to screams.

Kassem's son then went downstairs to see what happened and he saw his mother and two sisters on the floor. His two sisters had clear gunshot wounds at the time, prosecutors said.

That's when the teen son said he watched his father shoot his third sister before walking toward his mother's body and shooting her twice, according to the proffer.

All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, they were identified as Majeda Kassem, 53 and her three daughters: Halema, 25, Zahia, 25 and Hanan, 24.

Majeda Kassem was shot seven times, while all three of her daughters suffered gunshot wounds to the head. One of the daughters was also shot in the back, with the bullet exiting through her chin, according to prosecutors.

In total, 13 shell casings were found at the scene.

Maher Kassem was charged with four counts of first-degree murder. Kassem was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Tinley Park Police Department.

Prosecutors said he was captured on body-worn and police vehicle cameras talking about his recent retirement while saying things like "she treats me like a f---ing dog" and "I worked all my life to give my family a better home and they treat me like s---." He also made remarks about finances before saying "money hungry b---c pushed me to it," prosecutors said.

At a Monday press conference, Tinley Park Mayor Michael W. Glotz called the killings a "senseless" act of domestic violence.

Tinley Park police provided an update Monday after a mother and her three adult daughters were shot and killed in an apparent domestic dispute Sunday.

"Words cannot describe how deeply saddened I am at this horrible tragedy," Glotz said. "A mother and her three daughters are gone. Murdered in a senseless act of domestic violence."

Glotz went on to say the responding officers were receiving mental health resources after responding to the scene.

"It's difficult to process a senseless tragedy like this," Glotz said, "especially for the first responders who are called on to deal with this situation as it's all unfolding."

Tinley Park Police Chief Tom Tilton at the press conference called the investigation "very complex."

According to Tilton, the Tinley Park Police Department did not have a history of calls to the home.

Charlotte Vaitkus, who lives nearby the victims, said she knew the victims for the past 15 years through her daughter.

"We’re still in shock hours later. I can’t believe that this happened a block away from me to people that we knew," she said.