Tragic Stabbing Rampage in Washington After Man Stopped Taking Bipolar Medication
Anastasia Shablykin immediately recognized something was terribly wrong when she saw her brother enjoying an evening cigarette on her back patio. With a chilling realization, she told herself, 'That's not my brother,' and fearing for the safety of her 11-year-old daughter Anna, she ordered him to leave the house or she would call the police.
Descent into Delusion and Violence
Aleksandr Aleksand Shablykin, aged 32, had stopped taking his bipolar medication, which his family knew could trigger severe delusions, including his belief that he was the Egyptian god of death, Osiris. Just hours after his sister expelled him from her home in Orting, Washington, Shablykin embarked on a deadly knife attack. He first stabbed his mother, Zoya Shablykin, 52, to death before continuing his violent spree down her quiet street in Gig Harbor.
By the time Pierce County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the cul-de-sac at 9:33 a.m. on Tuesday, Zoya and three other women—Joanne Brandani, Louise Talley, and Stephanie Killilea—were already dead. Deputies arrived moments too late to save the final victim, and one officer shot Shablykin dead as he charged toward them.
A Mother's Final Moments
Zoya was killed while on the phone with her elderly mother, Luba, after Shablykin locked her outside and began performing occult rituals and torturing her cat. 'She was talking to Zoya and all of a sudden she hears Zoya let out a bloodcurdling scream,' Anastasia recounted to the Daily Mail. 'She could hear them arguing and then the phone just dropped. The Aleks said 'whoa'. He got a high from killing her, I think. Disgusting.' Luba heard nothing more until a police officer picked up the phone.
Anastasia, 30, and her boyfriend Rob Knowles, 59, described the five deaths as a profound tragedy, noting that Shablykin was a 'really nice guy' when adhering to his medication regimen. The heartbroken sister insisted that the man who slaughtered her mother and three others was not her brother but 'something else, something evil.' 'I'm up and down. Sometimes it's unbearable,' Anastasia said of her emotions. 'But I have to be strong for Anna. That is what she would have wanted. I loved my brother. Now I don't have him, or my mom, or a father.'
History of Mental Health Struggles
Zoya had been forced to evict her son from her home and obtain a restraining order against him last April, after he told her, 'Your grave has been dug up.' Despite this, Anastasia emphasized that Zoya never abandoned hope for her son. 'She was a godly woman. She loved Jesus, she loved her family, she enjoyed gardening, cooking, baking, arts and crafts,' Anastasia said. 'She loved her son... She died loving him.' Zoya had demonstrated immense dedication by bringing her two young children from a impoverished Siberian village to the United States after her husband's suicide.
Knowles speculated that Shablykin's father may have suffered from similar mental health issues. 'I think that he probably had whatever Aleks has too, I don't know,' he said.
Attempts at Stability and Warning Signs
Shablykin had previously been admitted to the Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital in Tacoma last April until he stabilized on medication that controlled his delusions. He subsequently moved into the garage of Anastasia and Knowles's home in Orting. Knowles explained they provided him shelter because he was family and feared that homelessness would lead him to neglect his medication. 'He'd turn into Osiris,' Knowles noted.
When medicated, Shablykin was described as pleasant and beloved by his niece Anna, who confided in him. However, over the weekend, subtle changes emerged. Shablykin began smoking, which was unusual, and stayed up late, contrary to his typical routine. By Monday evening, Knowles grew suspicious and repeatedly asked if he was taking his medication, receiving no clear answer.
Anastasia, familiar with her brother's psychotic episodes, immediately recognized the signs. She checked his computer and found he was researching Egyptian mythology, indicating a relapse into his delusions. She warned him to leave or face police intervention, but Shablykin responded defiantly, attempting to evict them instead. 'His respect was gone for Rob, and he wouldn't give us a straight answer. Rob got in his face and he didn't even flinch,' Anastasia added.
The Fatal Morning
After Shablykin drove away around 9 p.m., Anastasia and Knowles alerted Zoya, who later reported he had visited, received tea and a blanket, and departed. However, he returned the next morning. Out of kindness, Zoya allowed him inside, but he soon forced her out, mirroring past behavior. Zoya called her daughter from the back patio, stating she was locked outside. Anastasia urged her not to re-enter, but Zoya was concerned for her cat, Pushok, a long-haired Siamese she adored.
Knowles theorizes that Shablykin began torturing the cat, as he had done previously when off medication, possibly prompting Zoya to seek help from neighbors. A neighbor witnessed the attack, initially mistaking it for a dog mauling before realizing Shablykin was stabbing his mother repeatedly. The neighbor described Shablykin as calm and composed during the assault.
Aftermath and Investigation
Deputies discovered Zoya and three other victims outside, with one lying in the street. Shablykin was shot dead during the confrontation. Paramedics transported a fourth victim to a hospital in critical condition, where they later succumbed to injuries. The family found blood and cat fur inside Zoya's home, though the cat remains missing.
Knowles believes Shablykin's psychotic episode stemmed from an attempt to wean himself off medication, possibly influenced by recent government refusal of disability benefits and housing assistance. 'His sister thought that maybe I would be a mentor for him and help get him going in life but the guy had no motivation, he was perfectly content to just sleep in the garage... he didn't want to get a job,' Knowles said.
Anastasia noted that Shablykin's living arrangement was contingent on him staying medicated, but he showed little initiative. 'It was either homelessness or stay with us. He didn't have to do anything. He thought everything needed to be handed to him,' she explained. 'He didn't want to do anything but sit in the garage on his computer.'
A Narrow Escape and Ongoing Grief
Knowles recounted a fortunate cancellation of a planned trip to Cabo, prompted by Anastasia's intuitive unease about leaving her daughter with Shablykin. 'It was like a sixth sense or something. We canceled the trip and stayed home, thank God,' he said. Anastasia simply felt something was amiss with her brother's behavior.
The family has initiated a fundraiser to cover funeral costs for Zoya and Shablykin, as well as counseling for Anastasia and her daughter. Anastasia delayed informing Anna about the tragedy until her grandmother Luba arrived from Kentucky. The community mourns the loss of four innocent lives in a preventable tragedy linked to mental health and medication non-compliance.
