Washington man stabbed his mother and three neighbors who tried to help her
The suspect was shot and killed by a Pierce County deputy as he continued attacking the victims
Authorities reported that a 32-year-old man fatally stabbed his mother and three neighbors who tried to intervene to help her in Gig Harbor, Washington.
The incident occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at a home located in the 14000 block of 87th Avenue Ct. NW, in Gig Harbor, about 80 kilometers southwest of Seattle.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the suspect, Aleksandr Aleksandro Shablykin, arrived at the residence in apparent violation of a no-contact order. Although the order had not yet been formally served, deputies were en route to the location to deliver it when they began receiving multiple 911 calls alerting them that the man was stabbing several people.
An deputy arrived at the scene and found the suspect still attacking the victims, so he opened fire. Paramedics pronounced Shablykin and three women dead at the scene. The fourth victim later died at the hospital.
The Victims
The county coroner's office confirmed that all died from “multiple stab wounds.” The victims were identified as: Zoya Anatolyevna Shabliykina, 52, the assailant's mother; Joanne Kathleen Brandani, 59; Stephanie Killilea, 67; and Louise Sandra Talley, 81.
According to KING-TV, the suspect's mother had obtained a one-year restraining order against her son last year, citing mental health issues and substance abuse. In the document, she stated that he had threatened her, claiming that her "grave was already dug."
It is unclear whether the order the officers were attempting to serve was the same one or a different one.
Mourning Community
Relatives indicated that the suspect suffered from bipolar disorder and was not taking his medication. The assailant's sister expressed that the act did not reflect the person she knew.
Local media reported that Brandani and Killilea were commissioners of the Gig Harbor Arts Commission,while Talley volunteered with community tourism initiatives.
The family has started an online campaign to cover funeral expenses and described the event as a tragedy “rooted in mental health struggles”.