A New York medical oncologist killed herself and her baby at her home early Saturday morning, according to police.
Dr. Krystal Cascetta, an oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, shot her baby and then herself at her home in Somers, a town about 50 miles northeast of New York City, around 7 a.m. Saturday, reported the New York State Police.
Authorities are investigating the incident, according to information from state police, which said “the scene is consistent with a murder/suicide.”
It is not clear how old the baby was or if anyone else was in the house at the time. A spokesman for the New York State Police did not immediately respond to questions.
According to him mount sinai website, Cascetta treated breast, bone, gynecologic, and gastrointestinal cancers. She worked as chief of the Mount Sinai Queens Infusion Center, a cancer and blood disorders treatment center, and as Assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Cascetta graduated from Albany Medical College, where he was inducted into a national honor society “for demonstrating excellence in humane clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service,” according to his Mount Sinai website. She had also been studying for a Master’s degree in Health Administration at Cornell University beginning in 2022.
A Mount Sinai Health System spokesperson said in a statement provided to NBC News: “The Mount Sinai community is extremely saddened by the tragic loss of a Mount Sinai Health System physician and his son. We extend our deepest condolences to the family , friends, colleagues and patients of Dr. Cascetta.”
If you’re pregnant or a new mother and in crisis, the National Maternal Mental Health Line offers free and confidential support 24/7 in English and Spanish. Call or text the hotline at 833-TLC-MAMA (833-852-6262).
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
