Four people are dead in Gig Harbor, Washington, after a brutal stabbing outside a private residence. The suspect, identified as Aleksandr Shablykin, was shot and killed by police at the scene. Months earlier, his own mother had sought legal protection, alleging disturbing behavior inside her home. Court records reveal claims of threatening conduct, ritualistic practices, and what she described as “witchcraft” and “occult behavior.” She reported strange smells, unexplained smoke, missing pets, and what she believed to be evidence of ritual activity.

While law enforcement will sort through the forensic details, one reality stands out: the occult is not entertainment. It is not a harmless hobby. Scripture repeatedly warns that practices involving sorcery, ritual invocation, and spiritual manipulation open doors to deception and destruction (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). The Bible uses the word pharmakeia in Galatians 5:19–21 to describe sorcery—placing it alongside works of the flesh that lead to spiritual ruin. What begins as curiosity can descend into obsession. What is marketed as empowerment can devolve into bondage. And when spiritual darkness is invited, it rarely remains contained. SOURCE: People