Grandfather's tragic attack: Family members slain with 'curved dagger', victims identified
Mamta Thapa and her mother, Binda Thapa, were tragically stabbed in incident involving Mamta's father
Virginia authorities have disclosed the names of the two women who were fatally stabbed by a relative, who was then shot by the police earlier this week.
Mamta Thapa, aged 33, and her mother Binda Thapa, 52, were stabbed multiple times inside their home in Mantua, Va., on Monday (February 23), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The killings were committed by Mamta's father, Chhatra Thapa, 54, who, along with the victims, was named in an update from the Fairfax police on Wednesday.
Mamta's husband, also injured in the horrific event, is currently in the hospital with critical injuries, police stated on Wednesday.
Mamta's 1-year-old child was in the home during the attack but was not physically harmed.
Local authorities responded to two different 911 calls around 5am on Monday, discovering Chhatra attacking his son-in-law, the Fairfax County police previously reported at a new briefing.
The investigation into what happened uncovered that Mamta's husband was clearing snow from his car on Monday morning when he heard disturbances from inside the home where they resided, as noted by Fairfax police earlier.
Upon checking inside, he was "met with a horrific scene...[with] the baby in the midst of it ... [and] his father-in-law attacking his family," Chief Kevin Davis conveyed at Monday's media conference.
When Mamta's husband attempted to intervene, Chhatra attacked him.
Officers have retrieved a "curved dagger" which Davis described as similar to a cleaver, believed to have been used in the attacks.
Officers who arrived in response to the 911 calls found Chhatra in the act of attacking his son-in-law, as reported by police.
They repeatedly commanded him to drop the weapon, a command Chhatra did not heed, police reported at the news briefing.
"A life was in danger of literally being lost when our officer discharged their firearm," Davis commented on the officer-involved shooting.
As noted on her Facebook, Mamta worked as a nurse and digital content creator. She often shared photos and videos of her 1-year-old, portraying life with her husband and child.