An Illinois resident from Tinley Park, Maher Kassem, 63, was arrested on Sunday, January 21, 2024, under suspicion of murdering his wife and three adult daughters.
According to reports, Kassem is accused of fatally shooting his 53-year-old wife, Majeda Kassem, and their three adult daughters, Halema, 25, Zahia, 25, and Hanan, 24 in the midst of a domestic argument.
Kassem himself alerted the Tinley Park police to the incident by calling 911 to report the shooting.
Upon arrival to the Kassem family home on the 7400 block of West 173rd Street around 11:20 a.m., police officers discovered the victims, each having endured multiple gunshot wounds, deceased at the scene.
Kassem was then apprehended without incident, and a firearm, suspected to be the weapon used in the shooting, was found at the residence.
Kassem is now facing four counts of first-degree murder. While the police have not released detailed information concerning the motive or the events leading up to the shooting, it has been reported that the incident transpired during a dispute.
At the time of the shooting, the couple’s 19-year-old son was also present in the home but was not harmed.
Those who knew the victims remember them warmly. Halema Kassem, an exceptional student at Chicago State University’s pharmacy school, and her twin sister Zahia were known for their high aspirations and intelligence.
Their younger sister, Hanan, and their mother, Majeda, were also highly respected in the community.
A neighbor, Charlotte Vaitkus, recalled the family’s ambition and intelligence, and spoke of her daughter’s relationship with them.
Police Chief Thomas Tilton of the Tinley Park Police Department has underscored the ongoing nature of the investigation and the complexity of the case.
This incident is one of the most severe in Tinley Park since the 2008 Lane Bryant shootings.