Suspect and 4 others are dead after stabbing near Tacoma, Washington, authorities say

Feb 24, 2026 | 1:14 PM

KEY PENINSULA, Wash. (AP) — A man fatally stabbed four people before being shot by a sheriff’s deputy outside a home northwest of Tacoma, Washington, on Tuesday, authorities said.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said deputies initially responded to reports made at around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday that a 32-year-old man was violating a no-contact order. They obtained a copy of the order, learned it was not valid because it had not been served on the suspect and headed to the scene to provide it to him.

While en route, additional reports came in that the man was stabbing people outside the home, the sheriff’s office said. The first deputy arrived within about three minutes and shot the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Officer Shelbie Boyd, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Force Investigation Team.

Three of the stabbing victims were dead at the scene and another died while being taken to a hospital.