Suspect identified in SLO County stabbing that killed woman and injured her husband
A woman was killed and her husband injured in a stabbing Sunday night in Shandon that sparked a shelter-in-place order and a five-hour manhunt before the suspect was eventually taken into custody.
The deadly stabbing took place in the 200 block of South Second Street near Cholame Street around 9:23 p.m. Sunday, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
A family member of the two victims, 31-year-old Justin Buchanan of Shandon, was eventually arrested and is being held at SLO County Jail on a no-bail warrant for homicide.
Husband calls to report stabbing in Shandon
The incident began when a man called and reported that he and his wife had been stabbed multiple times, and sheriff’s deputies, Cal Fire and medics began an emergency response, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Witnesses helped get the two people to safety, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband was airlifted to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries but is in stable condition now, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Shandon residents were ordered to shelter in place as deputies searched for the suspect, with a reverse 911 alert going out shortly after the report.
Deputies established a perimeter around a home and nearby areas, deploying a drone while getting assistance from a California Highway Patrol helicopter.
Shortly after 3 a.m., the suspect was located at his house and surrendered to authorities, the Sheriff’s Office told The Tribune.
Another reverse 911 alert clearing the shelter in place order was sent at around 5 a.m. Tuesday. The Sheriff’s Office said the stabbing is believed to be an isolated incident with no further public safety threat.
The victims were not identified, although a relative posted on the SLO County News Facebook site saying, “This happened with my family. So please be as sensitive as you can. We lost someone we all loved very much.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 9:55 AM.
