Niece of Bronx triple-murder-suicide gunman says he was brought down by mental illness, drugs

The niece of a Bronx man who shot his mother, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend in a horrific triple-murder-suicide says he had been her “protector” before mental health and substance abuse struggles derailed his life.

Kaseem Stukes, 44, shot to death his 75-year-old mother, his 26-year-old daughter and his daughter’s 33-year-old boyfriend inside the family’s apartment inside NYCHA’s Castle Hill Houses last Wednesday before turning the gun on himself.

His niece, Dominique Stukes, told the Daily News Kaseem had been a good person before the horrific slayings.

“My uncle, only eight years older than me, was like a brother to me,” she said in an email exchange with a Daily News reporter. “Even though we had our differences he was he was my first male role model. He taught me how to fight how to protect myself … He was actually my protector most of my life.”

“He worked hard, was loved by his coworkers, showed up for his friends, and always wanted better for his family and those around him,” she added. “He struggled deeply with mental health and substance abuse, but he was also one of the coolest, most loyal, and most helpful people you could meet. He had a light, an energy that drew people in.”

Dominique’s mother, Tangier Stukes, told the Daily News last week she wishes her brother were still alive so she could kill him herself for what he did. That quote made the Daily News’ front page but Tangier also emphasized Kaseem had been a good person who she believes was warped by his time in prison.

Tangier last week called Kaseem a “good father, a good son and a good brother,” adding that he worked driving ambulances for Senior Care EMS.

“The devil had to be on his f—ing shoulder, talking to him, whispering in his ear,” she said of the shooting.

Dominique said her uncle was suffering from demons he struggled to control.

“What happened was tragic for everyone involved,” Dominique said in the email “My mother saying she (would) kill him again on the front page is disturbing for me and my family to see. She said that out of anger. She loves her brother. She helped my grandmother raise him. Please understand, it’s important to remember that my uncle was not just his worst moment — he was a man shaped by pain, loyalty, and love.”

Kaseem had been in and out of prison on gun and drug charges much of his adult life, including for selling cocaine and crack outside a Bronx NYCHA complex in 2003, authorities said.

“We grew up learning to be resilient — to keep going no matter what,” Dominique said. “But when you live in a world that constantly pushes you into survival mode, when you grow up surrounded by violence, and when you can’t express yourself or access the help you need, that strength can break. The system dims lights like his every day.”

Cops responding to a call from a family friend discovered Kaseem dead on a  couch with the murder weapon still in his hand, police sources said. His daughter, Kianna Stukes, was dead in the rear of the home along with his mother, Theresa Stukes.

The daughter’s boyfriend, Andrew Reynosa, was dead near the apartment’s door, officials said.

Dominique paid tribute to her slain relatives.

“My grandmother was the pillar of her community — a strong, loving woman who helped raise so many people beyond her own family,” she said. “My cousin Kianna, more like my sister, was the listener of our family, the one everyone went to when they needed someone who would understand without judgment.”

“Please use my family’s tragedy to raise awareness about mental health, trauma, and the importance of checking on loved ones — even the ones who smile the most,” she added. “Too many people suffer silently, carrying pain from their pasts without proper help or understanding. My hope is that our loss sparks real conversations about compassion, early intervention, and community support, so no other family has to experience something like this.”