8-Year-Old Boy Fatally Stabbed in Alexandria http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46564-2000Apr19.html
By Patricia Davis and Fredrick Kunkle
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday , April 20, 2000 ; A01
An 8-year-old boy playing with other children in his front yard on the first sunny day of spring break was stabbed to death in what Alexandria police said was an unprovoked
attack by a stranger.
The unidentified assailant also injured two adults who tried to come to the boy's aid--the boy's 80-year-old great-grandmother and a 51-year-old woman the family didn't know.
The attacker then slipped away.
The man was at large last night, spreading deep fear in the Del Ray neighborhood.
"Why did he attack him? Why this child? In this neighborhood? On this particular day? We don't know," said Alexandria police Lt. John Crawford. "We do know he's armed
and dangerous."
Police searched yard by yard for the attacker but turned up nothing late yesterday. "He just vanished," said one officer leading the search.
Kevin Shifflett was playing in front of his great-grandmother's house in the 100 block of East Custis Avenue about 3:42 p.m. when the man walked up and stabbed the
second-grader, Crawford said. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police did not know who the man is, have determined no motive for the attack and have not found the weapon. Authorities said that the boy's throat was slashed and that he was
stabbed several times. Neighbors said the attacker fled east toward Mount Vernon Avenue. The homicide was the first in Alexandria this year; there were two homicides in
1999.
The boy's great-grandmother, who was stabbed in the hand when she came out of her house to help Kevin, was taken to Inova Alexandria Hospital. A half-dozen family
members gathered just inside the emergency room while a steady stream of police officers and hospital chaplains went back and forth. The great-grandmother was released
from the hospital last night.
The good Samaritan, however, was more severely injured and was listed in serious condition last night at Washington Hospital Center. Police did not release the names of either
of the injured women.
Kevin, who was visiting his great-grandparents in the neighborhood where he used to live, was described as a courteous child by neighbors there and in Hybla Valley, in
southern Fairfax County, where he had moved.
"He comes to the house all the time," said Dallas Hall Sr., who lives near the Shiffletts in Hybla Valley. "He's very well-mannered."
Hall said that when his family serves cookies or lemonade, Kevin "won't eat it until he goes home and asks his parents' permission."
Children played in a cul-de-sac at the end of Kevin's street last night only because the Shiffletts weren't home, Hall said. "Normally, the whole neighborhood congregates at his
house every day," he said.
Roberta Trout, a cousin who also taught Kevin as a substitute teacher at Mount Vernon Elementary School, was devastated. "He's a very kind little boy," she said.
About 8 last night, the boy's parents pulled up to the Hybla Valley home. Visibly distraught, they were followed by two carloads of friends. None would comment.
Hall's son, Dallas Hall Jr., said Kevin's father, Arthur Shifflett, "comes out and does puppet shows for the kids. He's always making arts and crafts for the kids."
The killing rocked the Del Ray neighborhood, where historic bungalows now mix with town houses filled with young families.
John Lippard, 41, a lawyer, said he rushed home when he heard the news to see if his 9-year-old son, Wade, was all right.
"I don't think anyone had a real concern of something like this happening in this neighborhood," Lippard said as he watched the Del Ray Dust Devils practice soccer nearby. "I
can't imagine anything worse than this. The scariest part about this is that this guy is still out there."
Among adults at St. Elmo's Coffee Pub, a popular spot on Mount Vernon Avenue where neighbors gather, dogs in tow, to sip lattes and read, talk focused on the stabbing.
"Everyone's been coming in, worried about everyone in the community," said Elliott Snoddy, the cafe's assistant manager.
Carolee Pastorius, who lives on East Del Ray Avenue about a block from where the stabbing occurred, said she was shocked by the attack. "I've never felt threatened at all living
here," Pastorius said. "It's horrible. You want little children to feel safe playing. But I'm definitely not going out for any midnight walks" until the attacker is caught.
Closer to the scene, neighbors said they would be haunted by the bloodstained car parked in the driveway near where the child was stabbed. A woman who has lived in the
tree-lined enclave for years said she opened her door yesterday expecting a delivery of mulch. Instead, she saw Kevin lying face down on the sidewalk, bleeding.
"It's so sad," said the woman, who asked not to be identified. She said Kevin was playing with his younger brother, his older sister and a friend of his sister's outside the
two-story brick duplex when the man stabbed the boy "for no good reason."
The neighbor said that after seeing Kevin lying on the sidewalk "bleeding to death," she approached the great-grandmother, who cautioned her to stay back. "Don't come any
closer or you'll get blood all over you," the neighbor recalled her saying.
Timothy Trout, 6, had been playing with Kevin and the other children, but his grandfather summoned him to his house down the street. Ralph Trout was planting a cherry tree in
his yard and thought his grandson might enjoy pitching in.
"If he hadn't been helping me with the tree, he could have been involved," Trout said. "It's shocking, but I'm also thankful. I had my grandson with me."
Neighbor Bill Miller, 42, saw Kevin happily heading home from school Friday to start spring break. He said the boy spent a lot of time at the home of his great-grandparents.
"He had a big smile on his face," Miller said. "It's an absolute stunner."
Staff writers Tom Jackman, Jason McGahan, Ann O'Hanlon, Leef Smith, Linda Wheeler and Josh White and staff researcher Bobbye Pratt contributed to this report.
© 2000 The Washington Post Company
By Patricia Davis and Fredrick Kunkle
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday , April 20, 2000 ; A01
An 8-year-old boy playing with other children in his front yard on the first sunny day of spring break was stabbed to death in what Alexandria police said was an unprovoked
attack by a stranger.
The unidentified assailant also injured two adults who tried to come to the boy's aid--the boy's 80-year-old great-grandmother and a 51-year-old woman the family didn't know.
The attacker then slipped away.
The man was at large last night, spreading deep fear in the Del Ray neighborhood.
"Why did he attack him? Why this child? In this neighborhood? On this particular day? We don't know," said Alexandria police Lt. John Crawford. "We do know he's armed
and dangerous."
Police searched yard by yard for the attacker but turned up nothing late yesterday. "He just vanished," said one officer leading the search.
Kevin Shifflett was playing in front of his great-grandmother's house in the 100 block of East Custis Avenue about 3:42 p.m. when the man walked up and stabbed the
second-grader, Crawford said. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police did not know who the man is, have determined no motive for the attack and have not found the weapon. Authorities said that the boy's throat was slashed and that he was
stabbed several times. Neighbors said the attacker fled east toward Mount Vernon Avenue. The homicide was the first in Alexandria this year; there were two homicides in
1999.
The boy's great-grandmother, who was stabbed in the hand when she came out of her house to help Kevin, was taken to Inova Alexandria Hospital. A half-dozen family
members gathered just inside the emergency room while a steady stream of police officers and hospital chaplains went back and forth. The great-grandmother was released
from the hospital last night.
The good Samaritan, however, was more severely injured and was listed in serious condition last night at Washington Hospital Center. Police did not release the names of either
of the injured women.
Kevin, who was visiting his great-grandparents in the neighborhood where he used to live, was described as a courteous child by neighbors there and in Hybla Valley, in
southern Fairfax County, where he had moved.
"He comes to the house all the time," said Dallas Hall Sr., who lives near the Shiffletts in Hybla Valley. "He's very well-mannered."
Hall said that when his family serves cookies or lemonade, Kevin "won't eat it until he goes home and asks his parents' permission."
Children played in a cul-de-sac at the end of Kevin's street last night only because the Shiffletts weren't home, Hall said. "Normally, the whole neighborhood congregates at his
house every day," he said.
Roberta Trout, a cousin who also taught Kevin as a substitute teacher at Mount Vernon Elementary School, was devastated. "He's a very kind little boy," she said.
About 8 last night, the boy's parents pulled up to the Hybla Valley home. Visibly distraught, they were followed by two carloads of friends. None would comment.
Hall's son, Dallas Hall Jr., said Kevin's father, Arthur Shifflett, "comes out and does puppet shows for the kids. He's always making arts and crafts for the kids."
The killing rocked the Del Ray neighborhood, where historic bungalows now mix with town houses filled with young families.
John Lippard, 41, a lawyer, said he rushed home when he heard the news to see if his 9-year-old son, Wade, was all right.
"I don't think anyone had a real concern of something like this happening in this neighborhood," Lippard said as he watched the Del Ray Dust Devils practice soccer nearby. "I
can't imagine anything worse than this. The scariest part about this is that this guy is still out there."
Among adults at St. Elmo's Coffee Pub, a popular spot on Mount Vernon Avenue where neighbors gather, dogs in tow, to sip lattes and read, talk focused on the stabbing.
"Everyone's been coming in, worried about everyone in the community," said Elliott Snoddy, the cafe's assistant manager.
Carolee Pastorius, who lives on East Del Ray Avenue about a block from where the stabbing occurred, said she was shocked by the attack. "I've never felt threatened at all living
here," Pastorius said. "It's horrible. You want little children to feel safe playing. But I'm definitely not going out for any midnight walks" until the attacker is caught.
Closer to the scene, neighbors said they would be haunted by the bloodstained car parked in the driveway near where the child was stabbed. A woman who has lived in the
tree-lined enclave for years said she opened her door yesterday expecting a delivery of mulch. Instead, she saw Kevin lying face down on the sidewalk, bleeding.
"It's so sad," said the woman, who asked not to be identified. She said Kevin was playing with his younger brother, his older sister and a friend of his sister's outside the
two-story brick duplex when the man stabbed the boy "for no good reason."
The neighbor said that after seeing Kevin lying on the sidewalk "bleeding to death," she approached the great-grandmother, who cautioned her to stay back. "Don't come any
closer or you'll get blood all over you," the neighbor recalled her saying.
Timothy Trout, 6, had been playing with Kevin and the other children, but his grandfather summoned him to his house down the street. Ralph Trout was planting a cherry tree in
his yard and thought his grandson might enjoy pitching in.
"If he hadn't been helping me with the tree, he could have been involved," Trout said. "It's shocking, but I'm also thankful. I had my grandson with me."
Neighbor Bill Miller, 42, saw Kevin happily heading home from school Friday to start spring break. He said the boy spent a lot of time at the home of his great-grandparents.
"He had a big smile on his face," Miller said. "It's an absolute stunner."
Staff writers Tom Jackman, Jason McGahan, Ann O'Hanlon, Leef Smith, Linda Wheeler and Josh White and staff researcher Bobbye Pratt contributed to this report.
© 2000 The Washington Post Company