Chicago man charged with murder after allegedly shooting wife, 3 daughters

• Maher Kasem, a 63-year-old man from a Chicago suburb, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder for allegedly killing his wife and three adult daughters.
• The shooting victims were identified as Majeda Kasem, the twins of Halema Kasem and Zahia Kasem, and Hanan Kasem.
• Chicago Mayor Michael Grotz expressed deep sadness over the tragedy, calling it an act of domestic violence.

Murder charges were filed Tuesday against a suburban Chicago man accused of killing his wife and three adult daughters in what police described as a domestic-related shooting.

Maher Kasem, 63, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, authorities said. Police allege he shot and killed four members of his family after an argument Sunday morning at his home in Tinley Park, about 30 miles from Chicago.

Majeda Kasem (53) was killed in the shooting. Her twins Halema Kasem and Zahia Kasem are both 25 years old. and Hanan Kasem, 24 years old.

Chicago authorities identify four women shot to death in suburban home

“Words cannot express how deeply saddened I am by this terrible tragedy,” Mayor Michael Grotz said in a statement Tuesday. “A mother and her three daughters were murdered in an act of senseless domestic violence and went missing.''

A funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at a mosque, and friends have held an online memorial fundraiser to build a mosque in the women's honor. My family is Palestinian and Muslim.

The day before, mourners placed flowers in the snow outside the house and left small stuffed animals. Friends and neighbors noted Majeda Kasem's passion for cooking and the fact that all three of her daughters were intelligent and dedicated students.

Sama Kasumiye, a professor at Chicago State University, coached Halema, a third-year student.

“I just imagine her in her bedroom studying for her exams on Tuesday and not doing anything wrong,” he said. Kasumier stopped by and told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Illinois shooting, 4 women dead, suspect in custody: Police

Maher Kasem was scheduled to appear in bond court on Tuesday. His phone number listed could not receive messages. Cook County court officials did not immediately respond to messages asking whether Kasem had an attorney. The Cook County public defender's office could not immediately say whether they were representing him. The Cook County State's Attorney did not provide details about the attorney.

Authorities allege Maher Kasem called police and told them someone had been shot at his home. When police arrived at the home, they found four women dead on the lower floor of the home. Police soon took Kasem into custody without injury and recovered the gun believed to have been used in the shooting.

Tinley Park police said it was the deadliest mass shooting in the village of about 55,000 people since 2008, when five women were killed at a Lane Bryant clothing store in a suburban strip mall. announced that it was. The murder case remained unsolved.