A 39-year-old woman and her dog were killed, and three others were stabbed in a road rage incident on the Washington D.C. beltway on Sunday. Virginia State Police shot the suspect, who later died from his injuries. Authorities have ruled out terrorism as a motive.
Virginia State Police responded to a report of a road rage incident on Interstate 495 southbound near exit 52 in Annandale, Virginia, at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, a trooper encountered a male suspect armed with a knife and shot him in self-defense. The suspect was transported to a hospital with serious injuries and subsequently died, though his identity has not been released by police.
The incident followed a crash on the roadway, leading to the fatal stabbing of a 39-year-old woman and her dog, as well as injuries to three other individuals. The conditions of the stabbing victims remain unknown, and the matter is under active investigation by state police.
The event caused significant disruptions, resulting in a massive traffic delay on the beltway for nearly six hours before it was reopened. CBS affiliate WUSA-TV covered the closure and its impact on local traffic.
In response to online speculation linking the incident to a potential terrorist attack amid recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, state police have stated that they do not believe it is terrorism-related. The focus remains on the road rage circumstances and the sequence of events after the crash.