Fundraiser Opened for Young Children Following Tragic Murder-Suicide in Westchester

Last week a horrifying scene played out in the City of Yonkers where law enforcement and other first responders were called to a location in a residential neighborhood for reports of an unconscious individual.

When law enforcement and first responders arrived, they discovered the aftermath of what appeared to be a murder-suicide that has since sent shockwaves through the local community.

Murder-Suicide in Yonkers

The reported events took place on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 when the Yonkers Police Department were the first to receive calls to respond to the residence at 142 Chittenden Avenue.

Upon arrival two individuals were discovered at the scene, one male identified as 54-year-old Sean O' Neill, who sustained a single gun-shot wound to the head and was dead upon arrival. The second individual was identified as 47-year-old Arlene O' Neill who had been shot multiple times. First responders attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives from both the Major Case Squad and Crime Scene Unit later arrived on the scene to begin an investigation. In their investigation, it was determined that after some type of dispute between the husband and wife, Sean O'Neill shot Arlene before turning the weapon on himself.

Previous Coverage: Tragedy in Westchester as Police Respond to Scene of Apparent Murder-Suicide

Sean O'Neill was a retired NYPD officer and had worked on the Joint Terrorism Task Force while Arlene O'Neill was a teacher in the Eastchester Union Free School District and had been for the last 26 years. The O'Neill's three young sons were also home at the time of the incident, luckily none of them were physically harmed.

A Community Rallies and Responds

In the wake of the massive tragedy, there is at least a little hope that can be salvaged. That hope comes from a family, community, friends and many others who have rallied together their efforts in order to aid the O'Neill's three son's, ages 15, 13 and 11.

A GoFundMe page was opened for 'The Family of Arlene Connolly O'Neill'. On the page, it states...

Your generous contributions will go directly towards Sean, Brendan and Nolan’s education, their talents in both music and sports that Arlene worked so hard to encourage and support.

The GoFundMe was started on October 16 shortly after the incident occurred and to the writing of this article, over 5,900 donations have been made to a total of $784,980 for the O'Neill boys and their futures.

The GoFundMe would go on to describe Arlene O'Neill as a "a fearless mother, a thoughtful sister and a kind friend" that she "exemplified strength, kindness, and resilience" and that she "poured her heart into both her classroom and her home, always putting others before herself".

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Services as well as the funeral were held earlier this week for the O'Neill's and was attended by many. In honor of Arlene O'Neill, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano declared that the City Hall clock tower was to be illuminated green for Arlene's great joy and pride of her Irish heritage. The report from CBS News also states that Eastchester schools held a candlelight vigil in honor of Arlene and encouraged attendees to wear green. Attendees to the funeral wore green ribbons.

The link to the GoFundMe page can be found above, while the obituary for Arlene O'Neill can be found here. Currently the O'Neill's sons are in the care of other family members. It should be noted that information has been made available for anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis or is contemplating self harm. Help can be found by dialing 9-8-8 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.