‘He just snapped’: Neighbors on Long Island murder-suicide that left 5 dead

SYOSSET, N.Y. (PIX11) – A man fatally shot his three siblings and niece before taking his own life in Syosset on Sunday, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

The shooting happened in a house on Wyoming Court just before noon. A neighbor heard Joseph Delucia Jr., 59, yelling outside of the home he lived in with his mother before he shot himself, according to authorities.

“He just snapped, I think,” Wendy Paisner, a longtime neighbor, previously told PIX11 News.

Delucia’s mother passed away on Aug. 19. He was concerned he was left out of his mother’s will and would be displaced, police said on Monday.

While Delucia wasn’t cut out of the will, he would’ve had to leave the home, according to authorities.

“They were going to sell the house,” Paisner said. “He’s lived there his whole life. He really needed support.”

Delucia’s three siblings and niece were waiting at the house for a realtor, who showed up 30 minutes after the shooting, according to authorities.

The victims, Joanne Kearns, 69, Frank Delucia, 64, Tina Hammond, 64, and her daughter, Victoria Hammond, 30, were each shot multiple times and died at the scene, officials said.

Delucia had past mental health issues, police said. Officers visited the home in 2022 for a welfare check.

Other neighbors told PIX11 News that Delucia was a volunteer firefighter who quit last week in the wake of his mother’s death.

“I didn’t think it was that he would take his whole family… I thought maybe he was distraught and maybe he did this to himself,” Paisner said.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. It is a free, 24/7 service that offers support, information, and local resources. You can also click here for additional hotlines within your state.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018 . She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.