On behalf of the Shablykina and Knowles families, we are issuing this statement to honor our beloved Zoya Shablykina and to address the tragedy that has devastated our household, the Gig Harbor community, and the surrounding Puget Sound area.
We speak today to ensure Zoya is remembered for the life she lived, rather than just the circumstances of her passing.
Our family is navigating a nightmare of unimaginable proportions following the loss of Zoya, a devoted mother and a deeply cherished grandmother. To her daughter, Anastasiya, and her granddaughter, Anna, Zoya was a source of endless love and light. To our community, she was a kind soul who spent years trying to navigate the complexities of her son Aleksandr’s severe mental health crisis.
We want the public to understand that the person who committed these acts was not the man we knew. Aleksandr was a man lost to a battle with bipolar disorder who had tragically ceased his medication shortly before this event. While we struggle with the horror of his actions, we must also highlight the profound gaps in our current systems…