Four dead in Washington stabbing, suspect shot

A 32-year-old man fatally stabbed four people outside a home on Washington state’s Key Peninsula before being shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy, authorities said.

The attack happened Tuesday morning near Tacoma, in the community of Gig Harbor. Deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office were dispatched around 8:41 a.m. after reports that the suspect had violated a no-contact order, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.

According to officials, officers obtained a copy of the protection order but discovered it had not yet been formally served. Deputies left to deliver it in person. While they were en route, the suspect allegedly began attacking people outside the residence, located on a cul-de-sac.

Witnesses reported the assault at approximately 9:30 a.m. The first deputy arrived within minutes, and shots were fired shortly afterward. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three victims died at the location. A fourth victim was transported to a hospital but later succumbed to their injuries, said Officer Shelbie Boyd of the Pierce County Force Investigation Team, which is leading the investigation into both the stabbing and the deputy-involved shooting.

Court records reviewed by The Associated Press indicate that the home belonged to a woman who had sought a one-year protection order against her son, alleging threatening behavior and prior emotional abuse. The suspect had received notice of a court hearing but did not attend.

Authorities have not yet publicly released the names of the suspect or the victims as the investigation remains ongoing.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada