KEY PENINSULA, Wash. — A 32-year-old man believed to have killed four people, including his mother, during a stabbing spree in Purdy on Tuesday morning before being shot and killed by responding sheriff’s deputies, was identified by a family member as Alex Shablykina.
The suspect’s family members stated that Shablykina was struggling with mental health and had stopped taking his prescribed medication prior to the attack.
The medical examiner has not yet officially identified any of the victims.
Robert Knowles, the boyfriend of Shablykina’s sister, said the family had recognized warning signs on Monday evening and had attempted to involve the police before the suspect fled to his mother’s home.
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Knowles said the situation began to escalate on Monday evening in Orting.
Knowles said the suspect’s sister, Anna, noticed immediate changes in her brother’s behavior.
“Became clear to me Monday evening that he was not he was not himself and his sister identified it so fast. She knew and she looked at me and she said ‘that’s not my brother, he has to go,’ so she called police and they arrived really quick and when he knew they were coming, he grabbed his backpack and jumped in his car,” Knowles said.
Following the police call in Orting, Shablykina traveled to his mother Zoya’s home in Purdy.
“Got the call from Zoya early Tuesday morning and he’d locked her out of the house and was definitely in psychosis like he was previous,” Knowles said.
Records show the mother previously sought legal protection from her son. She filed multiple protection orders against him in 2020 and 2025.
In those reports, she stated that her son practiced witchcraft and insisted that she refer to him as a god.
Knowles described Shablykina as a generally kind person who was close to his niece, Anastasia, when he was consistent with his health care.
“He was on meds… he was a nice guy… he was very close with my daughter… his family loved him,” Knowles said. “There is no way I could have imagined that he was capable of what happened.”
The family was preparing to drive to the Purdy residence on Tuesday morning as Shablykina continued to communicate with them via text.
Knowles said they believed the police would arrive and take Shablykina into custody before they reached the home.
“She called 911 already and showed and she was communicating with Anastasia through text and she called again and was told to be patient. We were getting out the door to drive there and I was comforting Anastasia with ‘the police will be there before we get there, and your brother’s probably going to jail,’” Knowles said.
The violence occurred while the family was planning a vacation to Cabo.
Knowles said his girlfriend had been hesitant to leave because of a “mother’s intuition” regarding their daughter.
Knowles reflected on the missed opportunity to prevent the tragedy, stating, “I just don’t think it had to happen.”
A GoFundMe account is now set up to help the family deal with the tragedy.