Deputies were heading to serve a domestic violence protection order when calls of a stabbing spree came in from the same home.
GIG HARBOR, WA — Four people were stabbed to death in a cul-de-sac on Washington’s Key Peninsula, and the suspected attacker was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy who arrived minutes after 911 calls reported the violence, authorities said.
The killings unfolded as deputies were already responding to the address to serve a domestic violence protection order involving a 32-year-old man, officials said. The fast-moving attack, followed by a deputy-involved shooting, left five people dead and raised questions about how the restraining order process worked in the days before the stabbings.
Deputies first responded at about 8:40 a.m. Tue., Feb. 24, after a report that a 32-year-old man was violating a no-contact order at a home on the Key Peninsula, northwest of Tacoma, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies obtained a copy of the order and learned it was not enforceable because it had not yet been served on the man. They began heading to the address to deliver the paperwork. While they were on the way, more calls came in around 9:30 a.m. reporting that the man was stabbing people outside the home. The first deputy reached the scene in roughly three minutes and shot the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene, Officer Shelbie Boyd, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Force Investigation Team, told reporters.
Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fourth died while being taken to a hospital, authorities said. Officials did not immediately release the victims’ names, saying the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office needed to notify relatives and complete identification steps. Investigators also did not release the suspect’s name in initial briefings. The stabbings occurred on a residential street near Gig Harbor, a waterfront community southwest of Seattle, in an area neighbors described as quiet. Sheriff’s officials said the initial report centered on a protection order violation, but by the time deputies arrived, the call had turned into what investigators described as a mass stabbing. The type of knife or sharp object used and the exact relationship among the four victims were not publicly detailed in early official statements.
Court records and statements from neighbors painted a picture of a home that had been the subject of fear and conflict. Records show that a woman living at the address sought a one-year protection order last May against her adult son, writing that he struggled with mental health and substance abuse and that she felt unsafe in her own home. In the petition, she described threats and aggressive behavior and said he had pushed her. She wrote that he had been “threatening me” and claimed he was harming property and behaving in ways she described as occult rituals in her house. The protection order required him to stay 1,000 feet away from his mother, her vehicle and the address they had shared. It also barred him from possessing dangerous weapons and ordered him to comply with an existing mental health treatment plan, including medication.
Authorities said it was not immediately clear why the protection order had not been served before Tuesday morning. In Washington, protection orders typically must be formally delivered to the subject of the order before they can be enforced, and service can be handled by law enforcement, a private process server or other approved methods. Delays can happen when the subject’s location is uncertain or when multiple attempts at delivery are needed, but officials did not say what specific steps were taken in this case. The issue became central to the timeline because deputies were on the way to deliver the order when the stabbings were reported. Investigators have said they will review what happened leading up to the killings, including communications with the court system and the earlier report that prompted deputies to respond at 8:40 a.m.
Neighbors said the violence erupted quickly and in public view. Bonita Curtis, who lives nearby, told local reporters she heard screaming and saw a confrontation across the street. “He went after her, knocked her down and just sat on her and started stabbing her,” Curtis said. Curtis said she and others called 911 as the attack continued. Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, described hearing multiple gunshots and then looking out to see an abandoned vehicle and an officer over someone on the ground. The neighbor said the moment was confusing and frightening, with few clues about who was hurt and who was still alive. Gavin Carlock, a neighborhood resident, said it was jarring to see a deadly event happen so close to home. “We’re sort of sheltered in this little neighborhood where nothing really happens,” Carlock said, adding that the day was “eye-opening.”
Another nearby resident, Chris Cardenas, said he was washing his truck when he heard a rapid series of gunshots. He said the sound echoed through the trees, and sirens followed for a long time as patrol cars and emergency vehicles rushed in. He said he drove closer to the scene after the area was cordoned off and saw ambulances, investigators and numerous police vehicles. “I couldn’t have braced myself for how tragic the news would be,” he said. Investigators later said the deputy’s shots stopped the suspect’s attack, but by then four victims had suffered fatal injuries. Officials did not say whether any victims were still being attacked when the deputy arrived, or whether there were other attempts to intervene before law enforcement reached the cul-de-sac.
The deputy-involved shooting is being investigated by the Pierce County Force Investigation Team, a regional team that handles such cases, officials said. Boyd said the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is expected to review body-worn camera footage if available, 911 recordings, witness statements and physical evidence from the scene. Investigators also will examine whether the deputy’s actions followed training and use-of-force policy, and whether the deputy had any prior contact with the suspect or the household. Prosecutors typically review reports from independent investigators before making a final determination on whether the shooting was legally justified. Separate from the shooting review, detectives will reconstruct the stabbing timeline, including where each victim was attacked and whether the suspect moved between locations outside the home.
Officials said the victims’ identities would be released after next of kin are notified and autopsies are completed. Investigators have not said whether the victims were related to one another or whether any were trying to help a family member or neighbor. In the court filings tied to the earlier protection order, the mother described herself as an elderly disabled woman, and she wrote that she feared for her safety. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether she was among the victims. Neighbors told reporters they were aware there had been prior disturbances at the house, including shouting and at least one previous police response, but they said they did not realize the situation could turn deadly. Investigators said surveillance cameras in the area may have captured parts of what happened, and they are seeking additional video from neighbors who have home security systems.
For residents on the Key Peninsula, the attack shook a community known for wooded streets, small waterfront neighborhoods and a slower pace than nearby cities. The stabbings happened in daylight in a small cluster of homes, and neighbors described the sudden shift from routine morning sounds to screaming, emergency calls and gunfire. After the shooting, residents said they watched as deputies and investigators blocked the street, and they saw stretchers, medical equipment and forensic teams arriving. The scene remained active for hours as investigators photographed the area and collected evidence. Several neighbors said they were left replaying what they saw and heard, struggling to understand how a call about a protection order turned into multiple deaths within a short window.
The investigation continued into this week, with officials focusing on the deputy’s use of force, the events that led to the stabbings and the circumstances surrounding the unserved protection order. Authorities said they expect to provide additional updates after medical examiner identifications are complete and investigators finish early interviews and evidence review.
Author note: Last updated March 2, 2026.