Authorities said deputies were trying to serve a domestic violence protection order.
KEY PENINSULA, Wash. — A man fatally stabbed four people outside a home northwest of Tacoma on Feb. 24 before a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed him, authorities said. Investigators later identified the suspect as 32-year-old Aleksandr Shabilykin.
The killings shook a quiet stretch of the Key Peninsula near Gig Harbor, where neighbors said violence is rare and homes sit among tall trees and narrow roads. Authorities said the stabbings unfolded as deputies were responding to reports tied to a protection order involving the suspect. The deputy-involved shooting was turned over to an outside investigation team, while the county medical examiner began confirming identities and causes of death.
Officials said deputies first received a call at about 8:40 a.m. that morning reporting a possible violation of a no-contact order at a residence in the area. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies obtained a copy of the order and learned it had not been served on the suspect, meaning it had not taken legal effect yet. Deputies still drove to the home with the intent of serving the paperwork and contacting the man, authorities said.
While deputies were en route, dispatchers received new calls at about 9:30 a.m. reporting that the man was stabbing people outside the home, authorities said. A deputy arrived within about three minutes of the stabbing call and shot the suspect, said Officer Shelbie Boyd, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Force Investigation Team, which handles reviews of deputy-involved shootings. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Three victims were pronounced dead where they were found, and a fourth victim died while being transported to a hospital, authorities said. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified the victims as Joanne Brandani, 59; Louise Talley, 81; Stephanie Killilea, 67; and Zoya Shabilykina, 52. The medical examiner listed the manner of death for the four victims as homicide.
Authorities did not immediately describe how the victims were connected to the suspect, and investigators said they were still working to confirm who lived at the address and where each assault occurred. Officials also said they were reviewing witness accounts and other records from the neighborhood. A local report said surveillance cameras in the area captured portions of what happened, and investigators were seeking additional video and tips as they worked to map the timeline.
Court records show the suspect’s mother sought a protection order last spring, telling the court she feared for her safety and cited mental health and substance abuse concerns. In her petition, she wrote that her adult son had pushed her in the past and later made statements that she took as threats. The court granted a one-year protection order in May 2025, records show, and it required the son to stay away from his mother and comply with a treatment plan that included medication.
It remained unclear why the order had not been served by the morning of the stabbings. In Washington state, protection orders can be delivered by law enforcement or by a process server, and delays can happen when the subject cannot be located, authorities and records indicate. Investigators said they were reviewing the steps taken in this case, including when the order was issued and what attempts were made to provide formal notice to the suspect.
Family members told local media that they had seen warning signs in the days before the attack and tried to get help. A relative’s boyfriend, Robert Knowles, said the suspect’s behavior changed on the evening of Mon., Feb. 23, and the family called police in Orting. Knowles said the suspect left before officers arrived and later went to his mother’s home in Purdy, where the violence would be reported the next morning.
Neighbors described a fast-moving, frightening scene and a heavy law enforcement response after the gunfire. Chris Cardenas, who lives a short drive away, said he heard a series of shots echo through the trees and then listened as sirens continued for about 40 minutes. Another neighbor told reporters that the neighborhood felt sheltered and quiet before the violence erupted, adding that seeing emergency vehicles line the road made the reality sink in.
Investigators said the deputy-involved shooting will be reviewed by the Pierce County Force Investigation Team, which is expected to release findings after evidence is collected and witness interviews are completed. The sheriff’s office said detectives also continued to document the scene, interview neighbors, and review records related to the protection order and earlier calls for service. Authorities did not announce any upcoming court hearings because the suspect died at the scene.
As of early March, officials said the investigation remained active, with detectives still working through interviews, video, and medical examiner reports to finalize a public timeline of events from Feb. 24.
Author note: Last updated March 2, 2026.