NYPD reviewing bodycam video after suspect attacked 4 girls with meat cleaver in Brooklyn
BENSONHURST, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Four young girls are recovering from a horrific attack after they were stabbed and slashed with a knife and meat cleaver.
Police say a relative is responsible for the attack and it all could have been worse if it wasn't for the bravery of one of the victims who called 911.
It all unfolded inside a home on 84th Street in Bensonhurst on Sunday.
The victims were 8, 11, 13 and 16 years old -- and the 11-year-old girl was able to lock herself in a room and call 911 for help.
The girls were rushed to Maimonides Medical Center and are all expected to survive.
Longqian Chen, 49, has made it through surgery after being shot by police three times - once in the head and twice in the torso.
Detectives are looking through his past treatment of mental illness, including a previous hospitalization for schizophrenia.
Police are reviewing body-worn cameras from the responding officers, which officials believe shows their quick actions saved the lives of the four girls.
A fifth child, a 12-year-old boy, was not injured and ran to the neighbors to get help.
Two knives were recovered at the scene, including the large meat cleaver that the suspect was holding when police arrived. An additional bloody knife was found in another room.
Although the exact relationship is still under investigation, authorities say the suspect is related to the victims. According to family members, the suspect has a history of mental illness.
Authorities are now trying to determine the motive of the attack.
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