PICTURED: NYC knifeman, 38, who murdered four family members - including two young children - before being shot dead by cops

A New York City knifeman who murdered four family members - including two young children - has been pictured.

Courtney Gordon, 38, carried out the killing spree in Far Rockaway, Queens, in the early hours of Sunday morning before being shot dead by cops. 

A knife used by the mass-killer was snapped on the ground after the bloodbath, with a body bag also being wheeled out of the crime scene.

Gordon, 38, killed an 11 year-old girl and 12 year-old boy, as well as a 44 year-old woman and a man in his 30s. They were his relatives, but further details have not been disclosed.

Christine Watson - his 61 year-old aunt - was also knifed, according to the New York Daily News, but survived. She is said to have invited Gordon to stay with her after his marriage ended and he became homeless. 

His mother briefly spoke Sunday, saying: 'I spoke to him yesterday. He just said to me, 'Mama, I love you,'' I said, 'I love you too, son' — and then I get the news.' 

'My aunt took him in because she felt sorry for him because he's telling her he's trying to get his life together,' Gordon's sister, who remained anonymous, told the New York Daily News. 

Gordon - a father of three - had spent the past year in and out of homeless facilities following the dissolution of his marriage and the loss of his job. 

She said that he was 'suffering deeply, deeply from depression and mental illness,' 

'I knew it was going to be bad. I wanted to tell her this is bigger than us, to let him go back to the shelter, but no one was listening to me. She took him in. There's no reason for this.' 

'He loses his wife, he lose his happy home, he was gone,' she continued. 'He lost his job. He just lost it.'

His sister also blames the mental health system on her brother's deterioration, saying that she kept trying to get him help. 

'They're telling me he's a grown man [and] because of his age, I couldn't sign the consent and give him the treatment,' she said. 'I really tried because I know he wasn't stable.'

She added that he'd told her he was going to try and get a job while their aunt helped him out. 

'My aunt, she's a sweetheart,' his sister said. 'She's a wonderful person. I didn't think anything like this would happen,'

Despite what became of him, his sister wants people to know that her brother's demons consumed what was once a decent man.

'He was a good person. He was happy,' she said. 'I just want everybody to know mental illness is really serious. It really is.' 

NYPD Chief Jeff Madrey said cops found themselves unable to enter the residence - due to the blaze started by the suspect as he left the home with a suitcase.

One of the officers was stabbed 'in the neck-, chest-area,' according to Madrey, while the second was struck in the head.

Once inside the home, officers found a 12-year-old boy, an adult man, and a 44-year-old woman all dead, and an 11-year-old girl fatally stabbed at the entrance.

She was transported to a nearby children's hospital, where she succumbed to her wounds. The incident is believed to be a domestic dispute.

Speaking to reporters from the hospital where the cops are being cared for, Maddrey shed some light on the still-shrouded situation.

'Unfortunately we are frequent customers here at Jamaica Hospital, and they are always extremely professional and give our cops the best care – so thank you,' the chief said at about 9am, joined by other senior ranking officers in the department. 

Revealing that another unnamed 61-year-old woman remains hospitalized in critical condition, the top cop described how the two officers initially came across the suspect while responding to a 911 call from a young female inside the house.

Now being questioned by detectives at the 101 Precinct, the girl claimed to be a cousin of Gordon, Maddrey said.

'This morning, at about 5:10am, in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, in the 101 Precinct, members from the 101 Precinct received a 911 call of an assault in progress,' the chief said.

'Basically, a young female caller stated that her cousin is killing her family members.'

He added that two members of the nearby 101 Precinct, 'a 28-year veteran and a 16-year veteran,' responded to the call in a marked vehicle during their regular patrol.   

As they get to the location on East Beach 22nd Street, Maddrey told the press, they came face to face with the man said to be responsible for the slew of deaths.  

'As they get to the location on East 22nd Street,' Maddrey said, 'the officers pulled up to the block.

Attempting to 'set the stage' for the incident at followed, the chief described how the two family home at 467 22nd Street is set on 'a residential block with homes on it, with apartments, with private houses', at the end of a driveway where 'there's another four or five private homes.'

'It's like a little residential community in a residential community,' he said, before describing in-depth the fatal altercation.

'Our officers pull up to the driveway, [and] as they get to the driveway, they see a male walking out – he's carrying luggage', Gaddrey recalled.

'Our officers asked the male a question or two, and in an encounter that lasted about ten seconds, the male draws a knife on our officers. 

'He stabs one officer in the neck-, chest-area, [and] he strikes the second officer in the head.

'Our 28-year veteran [was] able to draw his firearm [and] able to discharge his weapon to the stop the assault, and he was able to stop the perpetrator.

'Our two officers were removed to a local hospital, Jamaica Hospital, [and] our perpetrator was removed to [another] local hospital.

'He has since been pronounced dead on arrival.'

The chief proceeded to describe how additional officers called to the scene responded to the still-unfolding situation, initially coming across 'a young child laying in the front of the house' outside before even gaining entry.

'Unfortunately,' Gaddrey continued, 'that young child died of her injuries,' revealing her to have been only 11 and stabbed several times.

The other victims, all believed to have been related, were later found inside in a pair of bedrooms toward the back of the house, but not before officers grappled with how to get inside due to a fire started by the suspect.

'They were not able to enter the home because there was a fire inside the living room/foyer area,' the chief told reporters without providing a specific timeline of the fast developing situation.

He said that FDNY, however, soon responded – and were able to put out the fire and  rescue the 61-year from the home to be brought to another hospital in Manhattan.

Once the fire was extinguished and officers were able to get into the apartment, lawmen found the three other victims, Maddrey said - revealing they were 'all dead.'

He added the belief that everyone who died – 'the four family members', as he called them – were all killed as a result of stab wounds they sustained during the incident, which cops are calling a domestic dispute.

He further revealed how at the scene, cops quickly recovered the weapon that was used to injure the officers - a typical kitchen steak knife that was photographed and shown to those in the audience.

'At this time, this was the only weapon we recovered,' Maddrey added. 'This part of the investigation will determine whether it was the weapon used to harm all the victims.'

An investigation has since been launched by the NYPD's crime scene unit, Maddrey said, adding that the Queens South Homicide division and detectives with the 101 Precinct are also aiding in the effort.

Officers went on to provide the name of the suspect - along with a brief synopsis of his criminal history in his home borough of the Bronx.

There, Gordon - who had no history with police linking him to the location on East Beach 22nd Street - had one prior arrest for a domestic strangulation incident, police said Sunday.

'It seems he is a Bronx resident that was visiting family members at this location,' the added.

As for the 911 caller, cops said she is currently being questioned at the 101 stationhouse, and 'may be able to shed some light on what occurred' as cops continue to vet the killings.  

At this point, though, officers conceded the investigation is still ongoing, with Maddrey electing to not identify the deceased due to relatives still needing to be notified. 

Cops did, however, provide ages for all of the victims killed or wounded during the attack - including the male 12-year-old, female 44-year-old, 'and a male in his 30s' found inside two back bedrooms of the location.

Also described was the female 11-year-old who was found in the front of the location, who officers revealed was transported to Cohen's Children's Medical Center elsewhere in Queens, before ultimately passing away.

Also hospitalized was 'a female 61-year-old who is currently at Mt Sinai Hospital in [critical] condition suffering from multiple stab wounds.

'It seems [the victims] were all family relations,' cops added.

Dozens of cops, meanwhile remained on the scene well into the morning Sunday, as well as firefighters who responded to the fire at the residence at around 5:17am. 

Within minutes, the fire was knocked down, and officers were seen removing victims from the domicile - with investigators later revealing the belief that the suspect lit a couch at the front of the location on fire as he was leaving.

Several described hearing gunshots during police's response, during which police officers shot the suspect before discovering the additional victims with multiple, unspecified injuries.

'I heard pop pop pop,' one neighbor told amNewYork of the early-morning incident, as preliminary reports indicate that police shot the suspect outside the home before discovering additional victims inside the residence. 

'It woke me up out my sleep and then I heard the sirens. It is scary,' the witness added.

Radio chatter indicated more of the same, as firefighters were heard telling dispatchers they removed at least one person with minor injuries from the scene.

Police are now asking the public to stay clear of the area as they continue to probe the incident, which sparked a prominent police response and saw portions of the Van Wyck closed.

Sources familiar with the matter told outlets like The News, amNewYork, and ABC 7 that cops first received reports of the person wielding the knife during a domestic dispute, but did not provide any additional details.

The incident, as of 11am, remains under investigation with the NYPD. DailyMail.com has reached out the department for comment.