Long before five people lay dead inside a quiet Washington home, there were warnings — strange, unsettling warnings — about rituals, smoke, and talk of graves already dug.

Court records reveal that in April 2025, a woman living at the Gig Harbor property filed for a protective order against her adult son, alleging that he had been conducting “witchcraft/occult behavior” and “rituals” inside her home. According to documents, the woman described a deeply disturbing pattern of behavior.

“He’s doing witchcraft/occult behavior and rituals in my home, damaging personal belongings,” she wrote in her petition.

The woman, who described herself as elderly and disabled, alleged her son was taking advantage of her health and finances. She claimed he was “hurting my cat,” refused to get a job, and believed himself to be “an Egyptian God.”

The filing detailed an April 2025 incident in which the son allegedly removed several items from the home and caused a strange odor to emanate from the garage. “The smoke detector was going off, and my son was acting delusional,” she wrote. “Evidence of occult rituals was present.”

She also accused him of physical and mental abuse, and the petition referenced a chilling statement: that he had told her “her grave had already been dug.”

A protection order was issued in May 2025 following what court records describe as a string of troubling reports.

Then, this week, that same address became the site of a brutal mass stabbing.

On Tuesday, a lone Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy from the Peninsula Branch responded to a call at the Gig Harbor residence. Earlier that day, the sheriff’s office had received a tip that a man was going to violate a protective order at the home.

While the deputy was en route, multiple witnesses began calling 911 to report that someone had started stabbing residents inside the house.

By the time law enforcement arrived, chaos had already erupted.

Authorities say the deputy encountered a 32-year-old male actively stabbing someone at the scene. The deputy opened fire, shooting and killing the suspect.

Four adults died from stab wounds inflicted before officers arrived. Officials later confirmed a total of five people were dead in connection with the incident. No names have been released, and authorities have not publicly clarified the relationships among the victims.

The quiet, wooded neighborhood — known for its tall trees and relative seclusion — was shattered by the violence.

Chris Cardenas, who lives nearby, told the Associated Press he heard the gunfire echoing through the area.

“All of a sudden I just heard like a series of gunshots,” he said. “You could really hear it echoing through the trees.”

Now, as investigators piece together what unfolded inside the home, the earlier court filings cast a haunting shadow over the tragedy. Allegations of occult rituals, delusions of divine identity, smoke in the garage, and threats about graves were documented months before the bloodshed.

It remains unclear who exactly was inside the home at the time of the attack or how they were connected. Authorities have provided few details beyond confirming the suspect was killed by the responding deputy and that multiple residents were fatally stabbed.

What is clear is that a mother once went to court claiming she feared for her safety inside that same house.