A Tinley Park man became so enraged while arguing with his wife and three daughters that he fatally shot them in the basem*nt of their home in front of his son, Cook County prosecutors said in court Tuesday.
After Maher Kassem, 63, allegedly killed the four family members Sunday, he called police, who arrived and recorded him on body-camera video showing little remorse.
“I worked all my life to get my family a better home. They treat me like s---. They treat me like a dog,” Kassem allegedly said, also telling police that he had recently retired.
The argument allegedly started in the basem*nt of their home in the 7400 block of 173rd Place between him and his daughters, Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Clark said in the hearing.
Kassem’s 19-year-old son had woken up shortly before the argument started between his father and one of his sisters in the basem*nt, Clark said.
When the arguing turned to yelling, the son went to the basem*nt and saw that his other sisters and his mother had joined in the argument with his father, telling him to quiet down, Clark said.
During the course of the argument, the father went upstairs and back down more than once, Clark said. On the last time the father went to the basem*nt, the son allegedly heard the argument turn to screaming before gunfire erupted.
The son entered the basem*nt and found his mother lying on the floor, Clark said. He wasn’t immediately sure if she had been shot. The son then saw one of his sisters with gunshot wounds. The son then saw his dad allegedly shoot his mother two more times, Clark said.
The victims were Kassem’s wife, Majeda Kassem, 53; and three daughters: Halema Kassem, 25; Hanan Kassem, 24; and Zahia Kassem, 25. All were pronounced dead at the scene.
Maher Kassem called police to say his wife had been shot but did not offer additional information, Clark said. When officers arrived, they asked him where the victims were and he allegedly pointed to the basem*nt.
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“They’re gone,” Kassem allegedly told the officers. “Everything is OK,” he allegedly said.
When police asked him if anyone else was shot, he allegedly told them four people were.
“I’m going to jail,” he allegedly said. Police asked him if “it was him” and he nodded yes, Clark said.
“I’m the only one. I’m the only one,” he allegedly told police when they radioed the information. “They’re all gone,” he allegedly told police.
Kassem directed officers to a revolver near a pillow with four spent shell casings and two live rounds, Clark said. He pointed police to another gun, a 9 mm pistol near a coffee table, Clark said. Police found 13 spent 9 mm shell casings in the house.
All of the victims had gunshot wounds to their heads and bodies, Clark said.
Kassem has a valid firearms ownership identification card and no previous criminal background, Clark said.
Judge Linzey D. Jones ordered Kassem to be detained before the next court hearing on four counts of first-degree murder, which was set for Feb. 16.
Neighbors ‘never expected anything like this’
Neighbors on Tuesday described the Kassem family as quiet, friendly and helpful. They had lived at the corner address of 173rd Place and Osceola Avenue for around 30 years, they said.
The father often helped his neighbors and had cleared the sidewalks on his street after the most recent snowstorm.
“I’ve known the guy for 30 years. I would have never expected anything like this,” said neighbor Frank Muchna.
Another neighbor said she sometimes spoke with the daughters, who she said were independent and ambitious — and that that sometimes caused conflict with their father.
The neighbor recalled one of the girls complaining that she wanted to learn how to drive but that her father did not want her to.
“I’ve known them for so long, it makes me so sad,” said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “The mother was so nice. And the kids would visit me in the summertime. ... The mother was just as gracious. She knew everyone on the block.”
The father owned a liquor store in Gage Park in Chicago, according to business records, where neighbors said his two sons sometimes worked.
The oldest son had moved out and lived nearby, one neighbor said, while the youngest still lived at home. Neighbor Andy Guzman said he grew up with the brothers and attended Grisson Middle School and Andrew High School with them.
Police have said the shooting Sunday was the deadliest in the southwestern suburb since the unsolved Lane Bryant killings of five women in 2008.
