QUEENS – A 27-year-old man from Flushing has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and arson after allegedly killing his mother-in-law, stabbing his teenage brother-in-law, and setting their family home on fire during a violent rampage last week.
What we know:
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Wei Sheng Chen attacked his 50-year-old mother-in-law, Qui Jin Shi, and 17-year-old brother-in-law around 4 p.m. inside their multi-generational home in Flushing.Â
Prosecutors say Chen repeatedly stabbed Shi in the torso and arms before turning on her son, stabbing him in the face, chest, back, and head.
Investigators say Chen then used alcohol to ignite three fires on the first floor of the home before officers arrived. Police said they found Chen holding a knife and used a Taser to subdue and arrest him.
Shi was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.Â
Her son survived but was hospitalized with roughly 20 stab and slash wounds, including injuries to his neck, back, abdomen, and face. Doctors reportedly used more than 100 staples and stitches to treat him. Eight responding officers were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and are expected to recover.
Local perspective:
Neighbors and relatives said chaos erupted in the building as the attack unfolded.
“I just saw my cousin sitting on the stairs, bleeding,” one family member told FOX 5 NY. “He had a paper towel up to his head, with blood all over him.”
Another relative said they found Shi collapsed inside: “When I went in, I saw the aunt on the floor. And then they said there was a guy with a knife, so I went out.”
Dig deeper:
Family members told reporters that Chen was married to their cousin and had been drinking that night. Police sources said the couple had been “going through a hard time.”
“This defendant murdered his mother-in-law, repeatedly stabbed his teenage brother-in-law and set three fires in his multi-generational family home,” DA Katz said. “Our thoughts are with the family of Qui Jin Shi as we pursue justice for the victims in this case.”
Chen was arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, arson, and weapon possession. Queens Criminal Court Judge Glenda Hernandez ordered him held without bail and set his next court date for Thursday.
If convicted, Chen faces up to life in prison.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Queens District Attorney’s office.