In a home meant for safety and sleep, 33-year-old Mamta Thapa was found stabbed outside her Mantua apartment just after dawn, the first visible sign of a brutal family attack that would leave two women dead and a man shot by police.
Fairfax County officers responded around 5 a.m. Monday, February 23, 2026, to the 3900 block of Persimmon Drive after reports of a domestic assault. When they arrived, they found Mamta suffering from stab wounds outside the residence.
Inside the apartment, police say they encountered 54-year-old Chhatra Bahadur Thapa armed with a knife. He was kneeling over Mamta’s husband, 34-year-old Santosh Kumar Basnet, who had also been stabbed. Nearby lay Mamta’s mother, 52-year-old Binda Thapa, also wounded.
Police Chief Kevin Davis said officers repeatedly ordered Thapa to drop the weapon. Authorities say he did not comply and continued the assault. An officer then fired his weapon, striking Thapa and killing him at the scene.
Mamta and her mother were transported to a hospital but were later pronounced dead. Basnet remains in life-threatening condition as he continues to receive treatment.
Amid the violence, a 1-year-old boy was discovered inside the apartment. The child, Mamta and Basnet’s son, was unharmed. He has been placed in the care of relatives.
The officer involved, a 2.5-year veteran of the department, has been placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of multiple investigations. In a matter of minutes, one family was torn apart. What remains now are unanswered questions, a hospitalized survivor, and a child who will one day learn how much changed before the sun fully rose over Fairfax County.
Relevant images for publication: Police presence on Persimmon Drive in Mantua, Fairfax County. Exterior of the apartment building on the 3900 block of Persimmon Drive. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis speaking at a press briefing. Crime scene investigators outside the Mantua apartment complex.
