Updated

Updated · WABC-TV · Jul 25

Queens Police Shoot 33-Year-Old Kegan Thomas After 2 Are Found Dead in Burning Home

Updated

Updated · WABC-TV · Jul 25

Queens Police Shoot 33-Year-Old Kegan Thomas After 2 Are Found Dead in Burning Home

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 · WABC-TV · Jul 25

Two family members were found dead inside a burning Far Rockaway home after NYPD officers shot 33-year-old Kegan Thomas when he emerged with a shotgun and tactical vest.
A 911 call from Thomas' wife triggered the response; she told police her husband was armed, had a history of mental illness, and had said he "killed them, killed them."
Officers said the woman reported seeing a body on a bed and hearing a shot before ESU arrived, when a large explosion tore through the house.
Thomas was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition, while nearby homes were evacuated as flames engulfed the residence.
Police have not identified the two victims or their exact relationship to Thomas, and the causes of death and explosion remain under investigation.