Two women died, a son-in-law was critically hurt, and a 1-year-old child was found unharmed inside the apartment.

MANTUA, Va. — Fairfax County police say a 54-year-old man fatally stabbed his wife and adult daughter and wounded his son-in-law inside a family apartment before an officer shot and killed him during the attack early on Feb. 23.

The violence unfolded in the Margate Manor apartment complex off Persimmon Drive during a winter storm, drawing emergency calls from inside the home and from a neighbor. Police say the suspect, Chhatra Thapa, was still attacking a third victim when officers entered. The case quickly became both a double homicide investigation and a review of police use of force, with county investigators, internal affairs staff and outside oversight now examining what happened.

Police said the first calls came at about 5:06 a.m. after the son-in-law, who had been outside clearing snow off his car, heard a disturbance inside the apartment he shared with his wife, his in-laws and the couple’s 1-year-old son. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis later said the man called 911 and then went back inside to see what was happening. What he found, Davis said, was an attack already underway. Investigators say Mamta Thapa, 33, had suffered multiple stab wounds, and Binda Thapa, 52, was also being attacked. The weapon was described by police as a long curved knife, about 10 inches to 12 inches in length, that resembled a meat cleaver or Nepali-style dagger. Davis told reporters the father-in-law then turned the blade on the son-in-law.

Two officers sent to the 3900 block of Persimmon Drive arrived within minutes, authorities said. Outside the apartment, police found an injured woman with stab wounds. Inside, investigators said, officers saw Chhatra Thapa kneeling over the adult male victim and continuing the assault while holding the knife. The officer at the front gave repeated commands to drop the weapon, Davis said, but Thapa did not stop. Instead, police say, he continued stabbing the son-in-law. One officer then fired multiple shots, hitting Thapa in the upper body. Officers and rescue personnel gave medical aid at the scene, but Thapa was pronounced dead there. Binda Thapa and Mamta Thapa were taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The son-in-law survived and was hospitalized in life-threatening condition. Police have not publicly released his name. Authorities also have not publicly described a motive, and Davis said investigators were still trying to understand what turmoil or conflict may have led to the attack.

The apartment housed three generations of the same family, a detail that sharpened the shock around the case. A 1-year-old boy was inside during the violence but was not physically harmed, according to police. Detectives took the child into protective custody, and county victim services staff worked with Child Protective Services to arrange placement with relatives. Neighbors in the Mantua community, a suburban area north of Little River Turnpike, described the scene as deeply disturbing. The attack happened before sunrise and after snow had fallen, leaving the son-in-law outside brushing off his vehicle moments before the killings. Davis used stark language to describe what officers found, calling it a bloody and chaotic scene. Local television coverage later reported that dispatch audio captured screaming and crying during the emergency response, underscoring how fast the incident unfolded inside the apartment.

The case moved onto two tracks almost at once. Detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau opened the homicide and use-of-force investigation, while the Internal Affairs Bureau began a separate administrative review, police said. The findings from the criminal investigation are expected to be presented to the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney for review. The county’s Independent Police Auditor is also set to examine the administrative case. Police later identified the officer who fired as Police Officer First Class Nicholas Brazones, a 2.5-year veteran assigned to the Mason District. As is standard department practice after a shooting, he was placed on restricted duty during the review. On March 19, police released body-worn camera footage and said the investigation was still preliminary and could change as more evidence is analyzed. No charges are pending against the suspect because he died at the scene, but investigators still must complete the homicide file, document the officer’s actions and issue final findings on whether the shooting met department policy and state law.

The facts of the morning are now established in broad strokes, but some parts of the story remain unsettled. Police have said who was killed, who survived and where officers found each person, yet they have not publicly explained what happened in the home before the first 911 call or whether there had been prior reports of violence there. The department has not announced funeral details, court filings tied to the family, or any record of earlier police contact involving the suspect. What is clear is that the son-in-law moved toward danger twice, first by calling for help and then by going back into the apartment where his wife and mother-in-law were under attack. Davis said the officer who opened fire acted with grace under pressure and may have saved additional lives. For a neighborhood that woke to sirens, flashing lights and a child being carried from the scene, that judgment will sit beside the larger grief of two women killed inside their own home.

As of March 24, the son-in-law remained the only known surviving adult victim, and Fairfax County investigators had not announced a final ruling on the officer’s use of force. The next major milestone is the completion of the criminal and administrative reviews.

Author note: Last updated March 24, 2026.