Updated

Updated · amNY · Jul 26

Queens Gunman Kegan Thomas Kills 2 Family Members, Injures Over 12 in Home Explosion

Updated

Updated · amNY · Jul 26

Queens Gunman Kegan Thomas Kills 2 Family Members, Injures Over 12 in Home Explosion

Q: What triggered the fiery Queens explosion before a heavily armed man emerged, and who were the two bodies left behind?

The explosion’s trigger has not been determined, and police have not confirmed whether explosives were involved. What is known is that the blast happened around 12:15 p.m. as NYPD Emergency Service Unit officers were preparing to enter the Far Rockaway home after a 911 call about gunfire and threats. Keegan Thompson’s wife had already told officers she heard shots, saw a body on a bed, and believed her husband was armed with a shotgun. Roughly 15 to 20 seconds after the explosion, Thompson emerged from the burning house carrying that shotgun and wearing tactical gear with extra ammunition. The two bodies found inside were identified only as family members. Authorities have not publicly released their names, and investigators were still working to determine both their identities and causes of death at the time of the reports. So, the central unanswered facts remain the same: investigators do not yet know what caused the fiery explosion, and the two people left behind have been described only as deceased relatives inside the home.

3 articles · Updated · amNY · Jul 26

Two family members died and more than a dozen people were injured after Kegan Thomas allegedly shot relatives inside a Far Rockaway home, then set the house on fire, triggering an explosion.
Around noon at 2533 Oceancrest Blvd., Thomas's wife called 911 saying her 33-year-old husband was armed, had a history of mental illness and was shouting for people to be killed.
NYPD officers from the 101st Precinct waited for Emergency Service Unit backup after failing to establish contact, then the blaze and explosion spread fire to nearby buildings and forced evacuations.
Within 15 to 20 seconds of the blast, Thomas emerged wearing a tactical vest and carrying a shotgun; officers said they ordered him to surrender before shooting him. He was hospitalized and is expected to survive.
Charges are pending against Thomas, while the officers who fired were taken to a hospital for evaluation as investigators work through a large crime and fire scene in Queens.