TAUNTON, Mass. - A Taunton, Mass. man fatally stabbed at least two people Tuesday and caused a terrifying scene at a mall before an off-duty officer shot and killed him, local and state police said.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said in a statement that Arthur Darosa, 28, crashed a car around 7 p.m. outside a home in Taunton, then walked inside and stabbed two women. They were taken to a hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries, where one 80-year-old victim later died.
Darosa hopped in a car and drove to the Silver City Galleria mall, Quinn said. He crashed the car in front of the Macy's store. He assaulted several people inside the store, ran off to a Bertucci's restaurant and stabbed four more people.
One of those victims, a 56-year-old man, later died.
Darosa died when an off-duty deputy sheriff at the mall shot him.
"It appears that but for the actions of the deputy sheriff, there may very well have been other victims," Quinn said. "I want to extend my heartfelt prayers and sympathies to the victims of this horrific violence."
Authorities continue to look for a motive that may explain the attack. State police said the stabbings do not appear to pose any ongoing threat.
"There is no continuing threat to the public," state police said in a statement. "The suspect’s motive remains under investigation but at this point we are aware of no nexus to terrorism."
The incident rattled shoppers at the regional mall. The city is 39 miles south of Boston.
