Four dead, baby survives after man kills family and himself in Howard County

BALTIMORE – Investigators are searching for a motive after a Howard County man killed three of his family members before confessing to a 911 dispatcher and turning the gun on himself.

Shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, officers searched the Belmont Station community in Elkridge, just off Route 1 near Route 100, after receiving several calls about gunshots, which they detailed in dispatch recordings obtained by WJZ.

“The caller heard gunshots and then screams. Five shots were fired in the Norwood Ferry area. Then the caller saw lights go out,” a dispatcher said. “A second caller heard six shots… the caller heard bangs and then screams.”

Family members identified

Police said the suspect, 61-year-old Nayyar Abbas Syed, did not live in the row house in the 6900 block of Norwood Ferry, but his other relatives did and he was a frequent visitor.

Police said he opened fire on them and then shot himself, but they did not know why he committed such a cruel act.

Officers found six people in the house, including five who had been shot. A three-month-old child was unharmed, police said.

Syed’s wife, 57-year-old Syeda Aalia Nayyar, his 25-year-old daughter Syeda Fatima and his 33-year-old daughter-in-law Alizey Fatima died in the house, police said.

According to police, the 31-year-old son was admitted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with critical injuries.

“The shooter, a 61-year-old man, shot and killed his wife, adult daughter, adult son and adult son’s wife, as well as his daughter-in-law,” said Sherry Llewellyn of the Howard County Police Department.

Syed’s three-month-old granddaughter was found unharmed at home. She was examined at the hospital and will be placed in the care of a family member.

“We have a new call from MSP. They are on the line telling someone that they called and have video of their father killing his family at this location,” a dispatcher reported. “They also say the father may have shot three to four people and video called the son. The father may still be armed. There are four to five people in the house who may be dead. A three-month-old baby is still alive.”

An officer later said, “We do hear a baby crying.” Shortly thereafter, police announced, “The baby is outside with an officer.” The child was examined at the hospital and is now with a relative.

confession

According to police, the suspect called 911 himself and confessed. He later died at Saint Agnes Hospital.

“The 911 call is still part of the ongoing investigation, so we cannot release the recording at this time. However, the dispatcher told us that when he made the call, he took responsibility for the shooting of his family members and stated that he was preparing to shoot himself,” Llewellyn told WJZ investigator Mike Hellgren.

Less than an hour after the shooting, an officer asks, “Can you send paramedics and bring the stretcher for one of the male suspects? He’s still alive.”

“Be a support to those left behind”

Neighbors told Hellgren they were shocked by the crime and said the community was normally quiet.

“It’s very hard when something like this happens in a community where people know each other and are familiar with each other. It’s something that’s so shocking without warning,” Llewellyn said. “Our message to the community is to stay as strong as you can and stand by the bereaved family members who will need a lot of support in the weeks and months ahead.”

No previous service calls

WJZ found no criminal record for the suspect in online court records.

Police said they had not received any previous 911 calls for the home and there were no signs of a forced entry. They are currently reviewing cellphone records and text messages to determine a motive.

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