ELKRIDGE, MD – A family tragedy played out in a Maryland home, as a man’s lethal gunfire was discharged upon unsuspecting family members. The shooting resulted in three fatalities and critical injuries on Thursday night, according to the Howard County Police Department.
Around 10 p.m., emergency services fielded multiple 911 reports of gunfire within a residential area on Norwood Ferry. A key report was one from the alleged shooter himself, who revealed his murderous intentions and his impending suicide to call handlers.
Arriving at the scene, law enforcement officers discovered a bloody tableau within the house: the lifeless bodies of three women, two critically wounded men, and an uninjured minor. Investigations led to the 61-year-old suspect, Nayyar Abbas Syed, who later succumbed to self-inflicted wounds while at St. Agnes Hospital.
Authorities identified the deceased women as Syeda Aalia Nayyar (57), the man’s wife; their 25-year-old daughter, Syeda Fatima; and daughter-in-law, Alizey Fatima (33). Muhammad Ali Hamza, Syed’s 31-year-old son, remains in critical condition in trauma care. Syed’s 3-month-old granddaughter, remarkably unharmed, has been placed with a family member.
The entire family resided in the Norwood Ferry house, while Syed lived separately. There was no indication of unauthorized entry, suggesting that Syed’s visits to the home were habitual. Police are continuing to investigate the motive behind the disturbing attack, with additional details pending.