Mother and five-year-old daughter stabbed and killed in Pennsylvania ‘mass casualty incident’

A woman and five-year-old girl died after multiple people were stabbed in what was called a “mass casualty incident” in southern Pennsylvania on Monday night.

The incident occurred on the first block of Firebox Court in Stewartstown in York County, Pennsylvania, around 7.15pm.

Authorities said they took a suspect into custody in New Jersey’s Hopewell Township.

Keith Kretzer, 31, of Edgewood, Maryland is facing two counts of criminal homicide and two counts of criminal attempted homicide for his role in the incident, police said.

The victims were identified as 34-year-old woman Christine Fousek and her five-year-old daughter Rylee Reynolds.

According to the York county Coroner’s Office, the two were found “deceased on scene after a reported stabbing.”

The coroner called the attack a “mass casualty incident in which multiple victims were reportedly stabbed, killing two.”

The coroner added that others were also injured and taken to a local hospital, but did not specify the number of injured.

Authorities later mentioned the public was not in any danger.

Fox43 reported that Mr Kretzer told the police that he had been making dinner with the two deceased victims in the basement. He claimed “something took control of him” and made him grab a knife and stab Fousek and the girl.

Then, he says, he went upstairs and stabbed the first injured victim before moving on to the second injured victim, where the struggle ensued. He reportedly stabbed Jacqueline Fousek, 63, and Joseph Fousek, 28, both of Stewartstown.

During this struggle, Mr Kretzer claims he “snapped out of it” and ran out of the house.

Police said they recovered two cell phones at the residence where the stabbing occurred, which police believe to be the second injured victim’s and the suspect’s.

They also seized suspected marijuana and associated paraphernalia as well as suspected psychedelic mushrooms, it was reported.