Six members of a Philadelphia family were stabbed in their sleep early Friday morning by a 29-year-old relative who lived in the home, authorities said.
The suspect, who has not yet been publicly identified, was arrested by police a few blocks away, covered in blood, according to cops.
Police responded to the alleged attack at 4:09 a.m., Philadelphia Police Department spokesman Officer Eric McLaurin told The Daily Beast.
Among the victims listed in a readout of the incident are a 49-year-old woman who was stabbed “multiple times in the neck, head, and back,” who is now hospitalized in critical condition; a 32-year-old woman stabbed “multiple times in the arms and chest,” also in critical condition; and a 30-year-old woman stabbed “multiple times in the back,” who is in critical condition, as well.
The three others are in stable condition, according to police: a 26-year-old man who was stabbed once in the chest and once in the back; a 55-year-old woman stabbed once in the left arm; and a 57-year-old man stabbed once in the forehead.
When officers located the bloody suspect, he had minor cuts on his hands, police said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The attacks occurred on the second floor of a home in Philly’s Kensington neighborhood, Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small told local ABC affiliate WPVI. Small said two bloody knives with 7-inch blades were discovered inside—one of which was broken—which he said demonstrates “how violently these individuals were being stabbed.” One of the bedroom doors was also reportedly knocked off its hinges.
“It’s a very violent scene,” Small told the outlet.
The youngest reportedly has special needs, and one is the mother of at least some of the victims, according to NBC 10. Two others who were inside during the attack were not injured, the outlet reported.
Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the alleged attack. Once police finish processing the suspect, further information will be released to the media, McLaurin said.