A Nepali family in the US state of Virginia was involved in a fatal domestic incident early Monday morning, leaving two women dead and the suspected attacker shot dead by police.
The Fairfax County Police Department said officers responded to a call at around 5:15am local time in Mantua, Fairfax County.
Police said 50-year-old Chhatra Bahadur Thapa allegedly attacked his 51-year-old wife, Binda Thapa, and 31-year-old daughter, Mamata Thapa, with a sharp weapon. Both women died at the scene.
Addressing the media, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said officers arrived shortly after the incident and found the suspect holding a blood-stained sharp weapon.
“We saw the suspect with a weapon in his hand. He was ordered to drop it, but he refused. Officers then discharged their firearms, and the suspect was pronounced dead,” Davis said. He described the incident as deeply disturbing and said a thorough investigation was underway.
Police said Thapa had also attacked his 35-year-old son-in-law, Santosh Kumar Basnet, with the same weapon. Basnet sustained serious injuries and is receiving treatment at a local hospital. He is originally from Biratnagar.
A one-year-old boy, the son of Mamata and Santosh, survived the incident unharmed. Police have not disclosed further details about the child but confirmed he is safe and has been placed under protective care.
Family sources said Thapa had received his permanent residency card on November 12, 2025, and had been living at his daughter’s home. He was originally from Belaka Municipality in Udayapur district.
It is understood that Thapa had been undergoing treatment for mental health-related problems and had been taking medication for a prolonged period.
Following the incident, police have been searching for extended family members.
The Embassy of Nepal in Washington, DC, has expressed concern and urged relatives to get in touch. Embassy official Juna Adhikari said the mission is coordinating with Nepali community organisations across the US to locate family members and provide necessary support.
This is the second such case involving a Nepali family in the US within a year. In August last year, a Nepali man in Dallas, Texas, fatally shot his wife and three-year-old son before killing himself, according to US authorities.
https://kathmandupost.com/nepali-diaspora/2026/02/24/two-nepali-women-killed-in-virginia-suspect-shot-dead-by-police
