Armed man shot by police after Queens house explosion; 2 found dead inside

Two people were found dead inside a Queens, NYC, home where a fiery explosion erupted before a man armed with a shotgun emerged and was shot by police, according to officials.

The incident began at about 12:02 p.m. on Saturday when officers responded to a report of gunfire at 25-33 Ocean Crest Boulevard in the Far Rockaway section of Queens.

The caller said her husband was armed, had a history of mental illness and had said, “Kill them. Kill them.” She met officers outside and said she had heard gunshots inside the home before finding a body on a bed and running outside.

Officers established a perimeter, requested the New York Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit (ESU) and repeatedly tried to contact the man by phone.

ESU officers arrived at about 12:12 p.m. Three minutes later, as they prepared to enter the home, a large fiery explosion erupted from the building.

Within 15 to 20 seconds, 33-year-old Keegan Thompson emerged carrying a shotgun and wearing a tactical vest loaded with additional ammunition, according to NYPD Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh.

Officers repeatedly ordered Thompson to put his hands up and drop the shotgun. When he failed to comply, officers opened fire and struck him.

The suspect was taken into custody and officers rendered aid before he was taken to Jamaica Hospital in critical but stable condition. An undisclosed number of responding officers were also taken to an area hospital.

Police later found two deceased family members inside the home. Their identities have not been released, and officials are still working to determine how they died.

As the home became engulfed in flames, officers evacuated nearby houses. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

Police said Thompson has no criminal history or documented history of mental illness with the NYPD. The shooting was captured on body camera footage and is being investigated by the department’s Force Investigation Division.

The incident came hours after a separate, unrelated five-alarm fire elsewhere in Queens injured 21 people, including 17 firefighters and two emergency medical workers. Two civilians were also injured in that fire.