A male suspected of stabbing four people, without provocation, was shot and killed by a Montgomery County Police officer.
At approximately 10:36 a.m., on Saturday, July 22, Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) 4th District officers were dispatched to the Unique Thrift Store, located in the 12200 block of Veirs Mill Road in Aspen Hill, after receiving multiple calls for a stabbing that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers located an adult female suffering from apparent stab wounds, according to police.
A second caller reported that two other women had been stabbed near the 4100 block of Colie Drive. Officers responded to that location and found the two wounded victims, along with an adult male with superficial injuries. Two of the three female victims were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The third is listed in critical condition. The adult male was not transported.
The suspect was located minutes later in the 4300 block of Havard Street holding a large butcher’s knife. The suspect did not comply with commands from officers to drop the knife and lunged toward the officer, resulting in the officer shooting the suspect. Officers aided the suspect; however, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to MCPD press release.
Per Maryland law, the shooting investigation has been handed over to the Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigation Division.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said more needs to be done for people suffering from mental health issues.
“While we do not know the motive for this attack today, I continue to believe we need to do more to address the markedly increasing mental health crisis in our community,” he said in a statement. “We need to find ways to avert these kinds of tragedies from occurring and not put our officers into the difficult and tragic position of determining when it is necessary to take a life. To that end, I will be working with our Department of Health and Human Services, MCPD, our community partners and the County Council to identify and expand crisis support services in Montgomery County.”
The suspect’s identity has not been released.
Photo: Suspect knife, per MCPD.
