Cops identify Joe DeLucia Jr. as killer in Syosset shotgun murder-suicide of 5 and confirm ‘past psychological issues’

A DISTRESSED gunman who killed three of his siblings and his niece before turning the gun on himself has been identified.

Joseph DeLucia Jr., 59, used a loaded 12-gauge shotgun to carry out the horrific act after he believed he was being cut out of his family’s will and displaced without a home after the death of his mother, Theresa DeLucia, police said.

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Nassau County police said DeLucia Jr. was distressed over his mother’s death on August 19 and about the impending sale of her home in Syosset on Long Island, New York , where he lived.

DeLucia Jr. believed he would be left without a home following the sale, something detective Stephen Fitzpatrick confirmed with surviving family members as false.

The family members gathered at the home on Sunday to meet the realtor, Fitzpatrick said.

Moments later, DeLucia Jr., who police said had a history of mental health problems, took a pop action shotgun and fatally shot his family members multiple times inside his mother’s home.

DeLucia Jr. then went outside and began shouting indiscriminately about what he did before turning the gun on himself.

The victims were identified as siblings Joanne Kearns, 69, Frank DeLucia, 64, Tina Hammond, 64, and her daughter, Victoria Hammond, 30.

“The perception of Joseph Jr. was that he was being cut out of the will and was going to be displaced without a place to go,” Fitzpatrick said in a press conference on Monday.

“He did have past mental issues, psychological issues, that were reported to us that we still have not confirmed.

“Because of that perception, he decided that day to get a loaded Mossberg shotgun, 12-gauge, approach them in the rear area of the house and from the kitchen, and fire 12 shots, striking all four of them multiple times.”

Fitzpatrick said the shotgun was legally registered.

‘ENTIRE FAMILY IS NOW GONE’

The detective said police were only called to the house once in 2022 for a wellness check on DeLucia Jr.

“That person had called in 2022 [DeLucia Jr.] was not displaying any signs of anything that we would take action to take him against his will that he was dangerous to himself or of others at that time,” Fitzpatrick said.

DeLucia Jr., who police described as a hoarder, was an auto mechanic who worked at a local dealership.

“He spent all his money on his tools. The house was pretty much hoarded, packed with tools and stuff involved in auto mechanics,” Fitzpatrick said.

“He was living there his entire life, never lived on his own, so you can see the mindset, where his world was now changing at 59 years old, and he was panicking.”

DeLucia Jr. only had one prior arrest for driving while impaired in 1983, police said.

Fitzpatrick said there are surviving children from the siblings killed but said the entire DeLucia family “is now gone.”

SMALL TOWN SHOCKER

Neighbors have since come forward with more information on the shooting .

“There were challenges. It’s really sad,” Wendy Paisner, a neighbor who lived across the street in the quiet cul-de-sac, told the New York Post .

“But his mother passed away, and I think that triggered him. You know that they were selling the house.”

Paisner’s Ring doorbell camera captured audio of the shooter turning the gun on himself on the front lawn of his late mother’s house.

A tree, however, blocked the camera’s view of the shooter.

She called the footage “very disturbing” and confirmed she turned it over to the authorities to help them with their ongoing investigation.

“He was sad. I said — ironically — I just said to him, ‘Things will get better.’ What can you say? He was distraught,” Paisner added.

“He lived there all his life, so I’m just guessing the thought of him having to leave and his state of mind maybe [pushed him over the edge]. He was a petrified person.”

How does this happen? What drives people to do this?

Corey Margulefsky Neighbor

A local real estate agent, Mary Macalusco, told reporters that DeLucia’s kin had contacted her about preparing the home for sale on Sunday.

When she arrived at 12:30 pm for a scheduled appointment, police had already taped off the street.

One neighbor, who lived in the area for three decades, said the shooter and his deceased mother largely kept to themselves.

“I haven’t even seen them actually — very secluded,” said the elderly man, who asked not to be named.

“They didn’t interact with anybody,” he added.

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SMALL TOWN SHOCKER

Corey Margulefsky, another neighbor, called the shooting “absolutely shocking.”

“It’s shocking anywhere, but it doesn’t happen here that often, so we’re not really used to it,” he added.

“How does this happen? What drives people to do this? It sounds like a dispute over money… I guess somebody was cut out of the will,” he said.

“That is absolutely crazy for somebody to literally get rid of a whole family over money,” he added.

Yongmei Li, a neighbor who lives directly behind the home, said she also heard gunshots that afternoon.

“I heard bang bang bang several times, I thought it was construction,” Li said.

Li didn’t realize what had happened until police later asked for access to her backyard.

“It’s a nightmare. Our neighborhood is very peaceful, very quiet. The neighbors are very friendly,” she added.

Paisner echoed that statement but also revealed the alleged shooter had become “friendlier” over the years.

“He’s been friendlier in the past few years,” Paisner said.

“He wasn’t always extremely friendly, but my husband said he seemed to turn a corner and be helpful on the block.”

Syosset is a small, quiet community in the town of Oyster Bay, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, New York.

The town, which is about 30 miles east of Manhattan, has a population of around 20,000, with a median income of $180,000.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org , or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.