A man wielding a steak knife killed four members of his extended family, including two children, at a home in the Queens borough of New York City early on Sunday before being shot dead by police, authorities said.

Police say the situation began when a young girl called 911 and reported that her cousin was killing her family.

A man killed four relatives, including two children, in a knife attack at their New York City home early Sunday, then set the building on fire and stabbed two police officers

The attack occurred early Sunday morning at a house in Far Rockaway, where the suspect also started a fire, the police said.

Investigators believe the suspect started a fire inside the house before he tried to leave and was shot by police.

NYPD officers stated in a press conference on Sunday that they received a 911 call from a young caller stating that "her cousin is killing her family members"

Four people, two of them children, were killed in a mass stabbing at an apartment in New York City on Sunday morning. Those who died – an 11-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy, a 44-year-old woman and a man in his 30s – are all believed to come from the same family.

While the details of what led to the knife attack are still unclear, police said they believe the suspect and victims were all family members.