Retired NYPD officer Sean O'Neil kills wife and himself in front of children after dispute

Sean O'Neil, a 54-year-old retired NYPD detective, shot and killed his wife, Arlene O'Neil, before taking his own life in a murder-suicide at their Westchester County home on Wednesday morning. The tragic incident occurred around 7 a.m. after a disagreement between the couple, although the nature of the dispute remains unclear. The couple’s three children were present in the house but were unharmed during the incident.

O'Neil, who joined the NYPD in 1993 and served in the Joint Terrorism Task Force alongside FBI members, shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. Arlene O'Neil, a 5th-grade teacher in the Eastchester Union Free School District, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders, while O'Neil died instantly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Yonkers police released a statement confirming the children's safety and their custody under family members. The couple lived on Chittenden Avenue, where the event unfolded, leaving the community in shock. The investigation is ongoing, and no further details regarding the dispute have been released. The tragic loss has deeply affected both the local police community and the school where Arlene taught.