Taunton Stabbings: What We Know

Taunton, MA - In the wake of violence at Taunton's Silver City Galleria Mall and a Myricks Street home, officials filled in details Wednesday on the fatally stabbed victims, their assailant, and "heroic action" by an off-duty law enforcement officer who intervened.

Here's what we know:

Death Toll

Two people, ages 80 and 56, were stabbed to death Tuesday night by an assailant, who himself was shot and killed by an off-duty sheriff's deputy on-scene. One remains hospitalized.

Timeline

According to the Bristol County District Attorney's account:

• The violence began around 6:30 p.m. with a car crash on Myricks Street.
• The driver, identified as lifelong Taunton resident Arthur DaRosa then entered a Myricks Street home, where he stabbed two women, one of whom later died.
• DaRosa then left the house and drove to Silver City Galleria Mall, where he crashed through the front door of a Macy's store.
• There, he assaulted three women inside the store, before going into Bertucci's Pizza Restaurant, where he grabbed a knife and stabbed two others. One of those victims also died, and another remains hospitalized.
• An off-duty officer fired a single shot after multiple warnings, and DaRosa later died from the injury at the hospital.

Read Patch's full account from the violent night here.

The victims

Officials released the names of all victims mid-day Wednesday, as well as details on their condition.

Patricia Slavin, 80, was stabbed inside her Myricks Street home, where she was eating dinner with Kathleen Slavin, reportedly her daughter. Kathleen Slavin was also stabbed, suffering potentially life-threatening injuries.

Kathleen Slavin, 48, recovered in the intensive care unit of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and was released Friday, according to the Bristol County District Attorney.

Patricia Slavin died from her wounds at Horton Hospital around 7:52 p.m. the night of the attack.

The 56-year-old fatally stabbed inside the mall restaurant has been identified as New Bedford high school teacher George Heath.

READ MORE: School Teacher Identified as Victim in Taunton Stabbing

Waitress Sheenah Savoy, 26, was also stabbed inside the restaurant, and is reportedly on the path to recovery, after being flown to Rhode Island Hospital in serious condition Tuesday. 

The three women assaulted inside the Macy's store are all expected to recover.

'Heroic Action'

Gratitude is pouring in for Plymoth County Deputy Sheriff James Creed, who was identified as the off-duty officer who shot and killed DaRosa inside the restaurant. Creed was dining at Bertucci's when the incident occurred.

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson wrote: "I want to thank and salute Plymouth County Deputy Sheriff Creed for his quick and decisive action. ... Deputy Creed was able to engage (DaRosa) and prevent further injuries or death to other patrons. ... Thanks to Deputy Sheriff Creed for his swift and heroic action during this horrific rampage.”

A full report on the shooting will be released pending investigation, the Bristol County District Attorney said.

The district attorney also commended Heath for attempting to intervene at the restaurant.

"His actions of heroism should not be forgotten," District Attorney Tom Quinn said in a press conference Wednesday.

The Attacker

The motive behind the attack is still unclear, although authorities firmly ruled out terrorism early on.

DaRosa was near Myricks Street attending one of his children's soccer practice before Tuesday evening's violence began, Quinn said Wednesday. It is unclear what, if anything, catalyzed the chain of events that followed.

DaRosa has no apparent connection to any of the victims, according to Quinn.

"This appears to be an irrational series of actions," Quinn told reporters Wednesday. "It is difficult to comprehend what this man did, with what appears at this point to have no rational motive."

DaRosa's sister told authorities her brother had been behaving irrationally and acting erratically during the day, and family members reported he had recently checked out of Morton Hospital, Quinn said.

Multiple news outlets report DaRosa was suffering from psychiatric issues, based on interviews with family members. Officials have acknowledged these accounts, but did not confirm them Wednesday. Discussion of DaRosa's mental state is "speculation" at this early stage in the investigation, Quinn said.

The attacker's family, meantime, has spoken openly with the press, attesting that DaRosa was recently released from the psychiatric ward at Morton Hospital.

Through a spokesperson, Morton Hospital released a public statement Thursday, saying it has "unilaterally barred" a state-funded subcontractor from evaluating or recommending treatment for patients. Its statement did not reference the violent incidents earlier this week.

“Effective today, Morton Hospital has banned the state selected sub-contractor Norton Emergency Services AKA Taunton/Attleboro Emergency Services (NES/TAES) from evaluating or recommending treatment for any patient at Morton Hospital.

... During the period of 12:30 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. this morning, NES/TAES failed to evaluate multiple patients in our Emergency Department in a timely way and when Morton Hospital proposed to do the evaluations ourselves we were rebuffed or ignored by the subcontractor. This inability of the state subcontractor to provide critical and timely services continues to put patients at risk.

Effectively immediately, we will provide our own evaluation services conducted by licensed and credentialed members of our staff who are subject to peer review and direct oversight."

>> Top photo courtesy WHDH, 7-News, used with permission

>> Patch will continue to update this story, as additional details are confirmed.