Illinois Man Accused of Murdering Wife and 3 Daughters, Then Calling 911 to Say Someone Had Been Shot

Maher Kassem was charged with four counts of first-degree murder

Maher Kassem
Maher Kassem

An Illinois man is accused of shooting and killing his wife and three daughters before calling 911 to report that someone had been shot.

Maher Kassem, 63, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, the Tinley Park Public Safety Department says.

Following an argument, authorities claim Kassem shot his wife, Majeda, 53, and daughters, Halema, 25, Hanan, 24, and Zahia, 25, Sunday morning.

Police responding to Kassem’s 911 call found the four women dead on the lower floor of their home, the department said. Kaseem was arrested after “he made statements related to his involvement in the shooting,” the release alleges.

Halema and Zahia Kassem
Halema and Zahia Kassem

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“Words can’t describe how deeply saddened I am at this horrible tragedy,” Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz said in a statement. “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, and we grieve alongside the family, friends and neighbors who loved them.”

It is not immediately clear if Kassem has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.