Tinley 'Heartbroken,' Details Sparse In Killings Of Mom, 3 Daughters

TINLEY PARK, IL — A town is heartbroken and details few Monday, as police continue to investigate the slayings of a woman and her three daughters who were found fatally shot inside their Tinley Park home Sunday.

Police declined to name a suspect in custody in what they're calling the domestic-related shooting deaths of mother Majeda Kassem, 53, and daughters Halema Kassem, 25, Hanan Kassem, 24, and Zahia Kassem, 25. The four women were found fatally shot in their Tinley Park home in the 7400 block of 173rd Place Sunday morning. All four victims lived at the home, police said.

The man was taken into custody inside the home "approximately in relation" of the bodies just minutes after the 911 call came in, Tinley Park Interim Police Chief Tom Tilton said. Police arrived at the scene 3 minutes, 30 seconds after the call, and the suspect was in custody without incident less than 2 minutes later, Tilton said.

Tilton on Monday declined to name the suspect in custody, citing an ongoing investigation. When asked if police had other persons of interest, Tilton declined to comment further, but confirmed there was no threat to the public. He would not confirm reports that the suspect in custody is the husband of Majeda and father of her daughters.

"This is a very complex investigation," Tilton said. "So we want to be sure we dot all our i's and cross all our t's, so it's going to be very difficult for us to confirm any specifics for you today, because we don't want to say anything to negatively impact the investigation or impact the charges."

Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz spoke Monday for the first time since the incident.

"Words can't describe how deeply saddened I am at this horrible tragedy," Glotz said. "A mother and her three daughters are gone, murdered in an act of senseless domestic violence. The entire Tinley Park community is heartbroken at the loss of these four innocent women.

"... We grieve alongside the family, friends, and neighbors who loved them. It’s difficult to process a senseless tragedy like this."

Village Manager Pat Carr spoke about the scene that unfolded Sunday.

"Our prayers go out to the family and the community on this lethal act of domestic violence against women," Carr said. "This was a very traumatic scene for everybody involved, and our focus is on the family and our first responders."

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Police received a 911 call at 11:20 a.m. from a man at the scene stating that someone had been shot inside the home, Carr said in a press conference Sunday afternoon. A male suspect was taken into custody at the house, police said Sunday afternoon. A gun was also recovered.

It was not immediately clear if the man taken into custody was the 911 caller, Carr said. Tilton said again on Monday that remains unclear. There is no known record of previous police calls to the home, Tilton confirmed on Monday.

"I want to commend our first responders, who handled this very difficult situation with professionalism and compassion," Glotz said.

Tilton also lauded first responders for their swift response. This was the first crime of this magnitude in Tinley Park since the Lane Bryant killings in 2008, Tilton said.

"They're professionals, they're going to respond professionally, and they did so," Tilton said. "We're extremely proud of our police officers and they way they handled it, the way they responded.

"This is a tragedy, but we can be encouraged in our community by the speed, professionalism, and efficiency our first response community displayed."

Police were unable to provide a timetable of any possible forthcoming charges.

"I don't want to rush any of that," Tilton said. "We expect that we will have a charging decision in the near future, and that's all I will say."

When asked if police know a motive behind the killings, Tilton said anything at this point would be speculation. Further information is expected to come later Monday or this week, he said.

"We want to make sure the victims get the justice they deserve," Tilton said.

Mayor Glotz reflected on the killings as heartbreaking.

"This is a difficult day and a stark reminder at how quickly domestic violence can escalate," Glotz said.

'It's all power and control'

Officials from two domestic violence awareness and advocacy organizations spoke Monday, stressing the importance of early reporting and intervention of domestic violence.

"It’s not unusual that these situations progress," said Pam Kostecki, executive director of the Crisis Center for South Suburbia. "When there is a firearm involved, there’s a 500 percent more chance someone is going to lose their life, with domestic violence going on in the home."

Itedal Shalabi, co-founder of Arab American Family Services, confirmed the victims are of Palestinian descent, and practicing Muslims.

"At this point, this has nothing to do with Islam or any other religion," Shalabi said. "This is about power and control, this is about gender-based violence, and this is, at this point for me, it's that—whether it’s this case or any other case—... this is not something the community condones, or the religion condones."

"This is about family violence and the power of one person over other family members."

Kostecki agreed.

"It is all power and control," she said. "It is someone taking power and control over you and your life. They are forbidding you from seeing other people, they are telling you how to dress. They are beginning with small interventions of physical violence that eventually escalate into taking a life."

"The course of control is there in any culture, any religion," Shalabi added.

Shalabi, who co-founded the Arab American services foundation in 2001, said they have worked for 20 years to create awareness and support around domestic violence in their community and culture.

"This is a tragedy for any community, but this is a tragedy for a community that doesn’t talk about domestic violence as much as we need to, and to address it as much as we should," Shalabi said. "We are hoping we can prevent other incidents from happening, if the community reaches out and starts asking for help."

Kostecki said pride sometimes stops victims for asking for help.

"A lot of time it’s shame," she said. "… People feel shame, that’s why they don’t come forward. They’re afraid to say, ‘someone who I love is hurting me.’”

Shalabi said shame, combined with immigration-based concerns, might play a part in some people not coming forward.

"It’s shame. For us, it’s also immigration," she said. "The language is also a barrier. … There’s a lot of dynamics."

Kostecki urged anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out for support.

"Please reach out and get help," she said, "before it’s too late."

The Crisis Center for South Suburbia operates a 24-hour hotline that can be reached at (708)429-7233.

Arab American Family Services also operates a headline, reached at (708)945-7600. Operators are bilingual and will speak to callers in Arabic if needed, Shalabi said.