A 23-year-old student died and another man was badly hurt in a double stabbing Tuesday afternoon at a trade school in Manassas, Virginia. Prince William County police officers who responded to the scene shot and killed a man armed with a knife near the school's front entrance.
The victim who died was identified as Elijah Islam Safadi, 23, of Manassas, police said Wednesday.
Safadi's family shared in a statement: "He was a GREAT. He got up every day to go to work as an electrician. He loved his brothers (5) total. He was going to be a new father as well."
His family said Safadi was at the school working to earn additional certifications.
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Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, multiple people called 911 about the attacks at the trade school in the 7000 block of Infantry Ridge Road, Prince William County police said in a release.
Police believe that the first victim was stabbed in a classroom, where several other people were also present. Police say the suspect approached a man, pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed him multiple times.
After the assailant left that classroom, he stabbed a second victim inside another classroom, police said.
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The first victim collapsed inside the classroom where he was stabbed, police said. The second victim got out of the building but collapsed in the parking lot.
When officers arrived, they saw a man with a knife near the front entrance of the building. Police said the officers told the suspect to drop the knife but that he moved toward the officers instead.
Multiple officers opened fire on the suspect with their department-issued handguns, police said. The suspect was declared dead at the scene.
On Wednesday, police identified the suspect as Philip Austin Brant, 26 of Woodbridge.
Any possible connection the suspect had to the school or to the victims was not immediately known.
Both stabbing victims were treated at the scene before being rushed to hospitals, police said, but Safadi did not survive.
The other victim, a 23-year-old Fairfax man, remained in critical condition Wednesday, authorities said.
Safadi's family said he leaves behind his mother, father, stepfather, five brothers including a twin, and his unborn child.
Both officers involved in the shooting were placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Prince William County police said. The officers were both assigned to uniformed patrol operations and have 5 years and 1.5 years of service respectively, the police department said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
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