Woodbridge man identified as suspect in fatal officer-involved shooting at electric union training center

Philip Austin Brant, 26, of Woodbridge, has been identified as the suspect in an officer-involved shooting that occurred at an apprenticeship training center located at 7016 Infantry Ridge Road near Manassas on February 13.

The incident resulted in the death of Elijah Islam Safdi, 23, of Manassas, who was one of the stabbing victims. The other stabbing victim, a 23-year-old man from Fairfax, remains hospitalized in critical condition.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), with members from Local Union 26 IBEW, operates a training center at the address.

Preliminary details released by authorities indicate that the incident began with multiple 911 calls reporting a stabbing-in-progress at the training center, police said. When officers arrived, they encountered Brant at the entrance door and engaged him as he brandished a knife, police said. Despite commands to drop the weapon, Brant continued to advance toward the officers, prompting them to fire their department-issued handguns, ultimately striking Brant, police said.

Further investigation revealed that the initial stabbing occurred in a classroom within the training center, where Brant allegedly approached one victim and began stabbing him multiple times, police said. The altercation escalated, leading to the second stabbing victim, Safadi. Safadi later succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect, Brant, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) continues to lead the investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, the officers involved, both with five years and one-and-half years of service, respectively, in uniformed patrol operations. Each has been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Authorities urge anyone with information about the incident to contact the Prince William County Police Department tipline at 703-792-7000 or submit a web tip at pwcva.gov/policetip. All tips received will be relayed to CIRT investigators as the investigation progresses.