Man Shot Dead While BUTCHERING Wife, Daughter-in-Law, Son-in-Law

Police car with flashing lights at night.

A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a man in his early 50s who was actively stabbing his son-in-law with a 10-inch curved knife after already murdering his wife and daughter in what authorities described as a horrifying bloodbath inside a Virginia apartment.

Story Snapshot

A man fatally stabbed his adult daughter and wife, critically wounded his son-in-law during an early morning attack on February 23, 2026, in Fairfax County’s Mantua neighborhood
Police shot the suspect dead after he ignored commands to drop his weapon while actively stabbing his son-in-law
The couple’s 1-year-old grandchild was found unharmed in the apartment and placed with social services
No prior domestic violence calls had been made to the residence, leaving investigators without a clear motive
Body camera footage will be released within 30 days as the officer-involved shooting remains under investigation

When a Routine Morning Turned into a Nightmare

The son-in-law stepped outside the garden-style apartment in the 3900 block of Persimmon Circle that morning to clear snow, performing a mundane winter task that countless others across the region tackled that same day. When he returned inside, he walked into a scene of unimaginable horror. His wife lay dead or dying from stab wounds. His mother-in-law was being attacked by his father-in-law, who wielded a large curved knife. The young father had seconds to process what was happening before he became the next target.

Two 911 calls brought Fairfax County Police to the scene. Officers arriving at the apartment complex near Pickett Road and Route 236 encountered what Police Chief Kevin Davis would later describe in stark terms as “a bloodbath of a scene.” The suspect continued his assault even as law enforcement entered, stabbing the son-in-law repeatedly. Commands to drop the weapon went unheeded. The officer discharged his firearm, ending the attack but not before two women had been killed and a third victim left fighting for his life.

The Victims and the Sole Survivor

The adult daughter died at the scene. Her mother succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital. The son-in-law remained in critical condition, his survival uncertain in the hours following the attack. Somewhere in that apartment, amid the chaos and violence, a 1-year-old child remained physically unharmed. The toddler, child of the deceased daughter and critically wounded son-in-law, now faces a future without a mother and possibly without a father, raised by the knowledge that a grandfather committed an act of incomprehensible violence against the family.

The placement of the child with social services represents just one of many devastating ripples from this incident. Multi-generational living arrangements often provide stability, childcare support, and family connection. This Mantua apartment housed what appeared to be an ordinary family navigating life together until something snapped in the mind of a man in his early 50s. Chief Davis emphasized that police had no prior domestic calls to this address, a detail that distinguishes this case from the typical pattern seen in domestic violence homicides where warning signs accumulate over time.

The Officer’s Split-Second Decision

The responding officer now sits on routine modified duty while investigators examine the shooting. This administrative protocol applies regardless of circumstances, but few would question the justification given what officers encountered. A man actively stabbing another person with a 10-inch blade, having already killed two women, presents an immediate lethal threat. The failure to comply with commands to drop the weapon left no room for de-escalation techniques or less-lethal options. The officer performed CPR on the suspect after shooting him, following protocols designed to preserve life even after using deadly force.

Body camera footage scheduled for release within 30 days will provide the public with a firsthand view of those critical moments. The video will likely confirm what Chief Davis has already stated, but transparency in officer-involved shootings serves an important function in maintaining public trust. The Fairfax County Police Department has committed to this timeline, understanding that community members deserve to see what happened when public servants were forced to use lethal force, even in circumstances as clear-cut as stopping an active stabbing.

Unanswered Questions in a Suburban Community

The absence of any known motive haunts this case. Investigators have released no information about what sparked the violence or what the unspecified “disturbance” involved before the son-in-law went outside. Did an argument escalate beyond control? Had mental illness gone undetected or untreated? Were there financial pressures, relationship conflicts, or other stressors invisible to neighbors and even to the family members who lived under the same roof? The suspect took those answers to his grave, leaving survivors and investigators to piece together fragments of understanding from a shattered family.

Mantua residents accustomed to the relative safety of suburban Fairfax County must now reckon with the reality that the most dangerous threats sometimes emerge from within homes rather than from outside them. The location near major roadways like Route 236 places this incident in a highly visible, well-trafficked area where families expect a measure of security. Garden-style apartments house countless families across the region, creating a uncomfortable recognition that violence can erupt anywhere, even in spaces designed for family life and community connection.