4 relatives dead, 1 critical in apparent triple murder, suicide in Elkridge, Maryland

Four family members are dead and a fifth suffered life-threatening injuries following what police believe to be an apparent triple murder-suicide case at a Maryland home late Thursday night.

According to the Howard County Police Department the shootings took place at a home in Elkridge , a community about 14 miles southwest of Baltimore.

On Friday, officials identified the shooting suspect in the case as Nayyar Abbas Syed, 61.

The suspect’s wife, Syeda Aalia Nayyar, 57; daughter, Syeda Fatima, 25; and daughter-in-law, Alizey Fatima, 33, were pronounced dead at the scene, police released in a statement to USA TODAY.

The suspect’s son, Muhammad Ali Hamza, 31, was taken to a hospital to be treated for critical injuries police said.

Neighbors reported hearing gunshots

About 10 p.m., police responded to the home after they received multiple 911 calls indicating that neighbors in the area heard gunshots.

Dispatchers also received a call from the suspect indicating he had shot his family and intended to kill himself, police reported.

Inside the home, police said, arriving officers found the three women dead and Syed and his 31-year-old son suffering from critical injuries.

Syed was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said, and pronounced dead early Friday morning.

At the time of the shooting, police said Syed did not live at the home.

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3-year-old granddaughter found inside home unharmed

Police said they found the suspect’s 3-month-old granddaughter in the home unharmed.

"She received a wellness check at the hospital and will be placed in the custody of a family member," police wrote in a news release Friday.

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Motive in case under investigation

A motive in the case was not immediately known.

The victims' respective official cause of death remained under investigation Friday morning.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 relatives dead, 1 critical in apparent triple murder, suicide in Elkridge, Maryland