Investigators said a 35-year-old woman is believed to have killed three relatives and herself.
Woodbridge, Va. — Police in Prince William County say a 35-year-old woman stabbed her 2-year-old son, her husband and her mother-in-law to death inside a Woodbridge townhouse before taking her own life. Officers were called to Vale Court on the morning of Feb. 21.
Authorities described the deaths as an apparent murder-suicide that wiped out nearly an entire household and left one close relative as the only survivor. Police said all four people died from knife injuries and that investigators recovered the weapon believed to have been used. A motive has not been released, and detectives said the surviving family member is cooperating as the investigation continues.
Police said the case came to light when the child’s grandfather went to the home in the 3400 block of Vale Court on Saturday morning and discovered the bodies. He called 911, and officers arrived at about 8:05 a.m., police said. Inside, officers found two adult women, an adult man and a small child dead in the residence. The deaths were later confirmed through autopsies, which found each person had knife-related injuries.
On Monday, police publicly identified the dead and the person they believe carried out the attack. Police said the victims were Danxiong Gao, 40; Kegang Xie, 69; and the couple’s 2-year-old son. Authorities did not release the child’s name because of his age. Police said the presumed suspect was Ziyi Lu, 35, Gao’s wife and the child’s mother. Investigators said Lu also died at the scene. Police have not said where in the home each person was found or provided a detailed sequence of events leading up to the deaths.
Prince William County police chief Col. Peter Newsham called the deaths a devastating family tragedy and said the scene was difficult for first responders. “It’s horrific, as you can imagine, for everybody involved,” Newsham said in remarks released by local media. He said the only surviving close relative, identified as the child’s grandfather and Lu’s father-in-law, was in the basement during the killings and later found the victims upstairs. Newsham said the man was distraught but has been fully cooperative with detectives.
The killings unfolded in a residential area of Woodbridge, a large community in Prince William County south of Washington. Neighbors described a quiet street of attached townhomes where families come and go to work, school and errands. One next-door neighbor told a local station that he had seen Gao the night before the deaths and had no warning that anything was wrong. The neighbor said the family had given his household a baby shower gift and seemed like normal neighbors.
Police said all of the people involved were members of the same family living in the townhouse. Investigators noted in their public update that the adults used both Chinese names and Americanized first names. Authorities did not explain when the family moved to the area or how long they had lived on Vale Court. Police have not released information about prior calls for service at the home, any protective orders, or any recent disputes that may have brought officers there before Saturday.
Detectives are now working to reconstruct the final hours in the home, including when each person was last seen or heard from. Police have not said whether there were signs of forced entry, whether anyone tried to flee, or whether the killings happened quickly or over a longer period. Investigators also have not described where the weapon was recovered, other physical evidence in the residence, or whether they have obtained surveillance footage from nearby homes. Officials said the investigation remains active and that some details are being withheld while evidence is reviewed.
Friends and acquaintances began to share memories as the identities became public. A man who said he had been neighbors with Gao in 2018 told local media he went to police headquarters after hearing about the deaths to offer information and to check on Gao’s father. The man said he later brought the father home with him so he would not be alone. The friend described the father as overwhelmed by grief and disbelief.
Investigators have not said whether mental health concerns, financial pressures, illness or other stressors played a role. Police said they do not yet know the motive. Officials also have not said whether Lu left a note or communicated plans to anyone. The medical examiner’s findings confirmed the cause of death as knife injuries for all four people, police said, but authorities did not provide additional medical details. Police said the case will be reviewed through standard procedures, including evidence testing and interviews, before a final investigative summary is completed.
For now, the townhouse on Vale Court remains central to the investigation as detectives gather records, speak with relatives and neighbors, and work to establish a firm timeline. Police said more information will be released as it is confirmed. The family’s surviving relative has been in contact with investigators since Saturday, police said, and detectives expect to continue those interviews in the days ahead.
Author note: Last updated February 24, 2026.