shooting

UPDATED: Police investigating apparent self-inflicted shooting during traffic stop

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 3 p.m.) The passenger in a car that was pulled over for a traffic stop apparently shot himself, prompting a large police presence in the Clarendon area.

The shooting happened just after 9:20 p.m.

According to initial reports, police pulled over the car near 10th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street and, after it stopped, an officer told dispatchers that the passenger shot himself in the head. The driver then exited the vehicle, per scanner traffic.

The passenger was rushed to the hospital after police safely retrieved the gun. All lanes of 10th Street N. are currently closed due to the investigation into what happened

Arlington County police said later Wednesday night that the person who shot himself had earlier fled from Virginia State Police and was in a rideshare vehicle at the time of the shooting.

“Just after 8 p.m., Arlington County Police were notified of a Virginia State Police pursuit into Arlington County,” ACPD said in a statement. “An individual ran from the pursued vehicle on foot and a lookout was broadcast. An Arlington County Police officer observed the individual enter a rideshare vehicle and officers conducted a traffic stop at 10th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street.”

“The individual discharged a firearm inside the vehicle, resulting in a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the police statement continued. “He has been transported to an area hospital. Arlington County Police and Virginia State Police remain on scene investigating. Arlington County Police were not involved in the pursuit.”

As of Thursday afternoon, ACPD announced in a press release (below) that the man had died.

The Arlington County Police Department is conducting a death investigation following a shooting that took place on the evening of March 22, 2023.

Just after 8 p.m., Arlington County Police were notified of a Virginia State Police pursuit into Arlington County. A lookout was broadcast after a passenger ran from the suspect vehicle into the Clarendon neighborhood. An Arlington County Police officer patrolling the area observed the individual enter the backseat of a rideshare vehicle. Officers conducted a traffic stop at 10th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street during which the individual discharged a firearm inside the vehicle, resulting in a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing emergency medical assistance before the individual, an adult male in his 20’s, was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.

Arlington County Police were not involved in the pursuit. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.

This remains an active death investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm, call 911. You can also call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, Arlington Dept. of Human Services’ emergency services line at 703-228-5160, or CrisisLink at 703-527-4077.

Hat tip to Alan Henney

ACPD: Person shot in Pentagon City after neighbor’s gun cleaning accident

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A Pentagon City resident has been charged after accidentally shooting a neighbor.

The incident happened last night on the 1300 block of S. Joyce Street, in the apartments near Pentagon Row.

“At approximately 10:30 p.m. on March 8, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “The investigation indicates the male suspect was allegedly cleaning his firearm inside his residence when it discharged and the round entered an adjacent unit and struck the victim.”

“The victim was transported to an area hospital in stable condition for treatment of injuries considered non-life threatening,” the crime report continues. “The suspect remained on scene and the firearm was recovered. [The suspect], 47, of Arlington, Va. was charged with Reckless Handling of a Firearm.”

Initial reports suggest that the victim was struck in the leg.

Police: Man shot himself at hotel, tried to make it look like a robbery

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 69-year-old Connecticut man is in jail after police say he shot himself and falsely claimed he had been shot during a robbery attempt.

The shooting happened two weeks ago in the parking garage of the Hilton Garden Inn in the Courthouse neighborhood, a block from Arlington County police headquarters.

The man was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said at the time.

This morning, police announced that the man who was shot had been arrested and faces a number of charges, including filing a false police report.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing an arrest in a shooting that occurred in the 1300 block of N. Courthouse Road on February 15, 2023. Chester Dunican, 69, of Waterford, CT, is charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Discharge Firearm in Public and False Police Report. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

The suspect initially reported to police that he was placing items into his vehicle when an unknown male wearing a ski mask approached, demanded his wallet and shot him. During the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered numerous inconsistencies between the suspect’s account of the incident and evidence recovered. The investigation ultimately determined the suspect shot himself and tried to make it appear as though an attempted robbery had occurred. He was taken into custody on the afternoon of February 27, 2023, after his release from the hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.

News reports suggest that Dunican’s felony conviction was quite recent.

He pleaded guilty in a Michigan federal court this past October to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge stems from a scheme that defrauded a Native American tribe of more than $1 million, various news outlets reported. The reports also note that it’s not the first time Dunican had been implicated in a business scheme.

“Dunican is known in Maine for several business ventures that became entangled in financial and legal problems,” the Portland Press Herald reported, adding that, according to Dunican’s attorney, he previously served in the military and has “serious and chronic health conditions.”

Dunican was set to be sentenced on Feb. 14, a day before the shooting, but “informed the court he had car problems and was unable to make it to the hearing,” another Maine newspaper reported. He faces up to 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the fraud charge, though federal sentences are typically lower than the maximum under statute.

According to ACPD, Dunican is currently being held without bond at the county jail in Courthouse, following his release from the hospital yesterday (Monday).

NEW: Police investigating shots fired in Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating a shooting that happened around 8 p.m. in the Virginia Square neighborhood.

The incident happened around 8 p.m. along Washington Blvd at N. Nelson Street, near Quincy Park.

Initial reports suggest that two cars were driving down the street and at least three gunshots were fired from one vehicle at the other. Responding officers were unable to locate the suspects or any victims, according to scanner traffic.

Update at 2 p.m. — ACPD just released the following about the incident in the department’s daily crime report.

SHOTS FIRED, 2023-02210199, 1000 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 7:59 p.m. on February 21, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the drivers of two vehicles became involved in a dispute, during which the male suspect exited his vehicle, brandished a firearm and discharged rounds, striking the victim’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. The suspect then fled the scene in a gray coupe vehicle. Responding officers canvassed the area yielding negative results.

Convicted felon who was out on bond for weapons charges arrested for Alexandria shooting

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

A man who was arrested for a shooting in Alexandria nearly two weeks ago was released on bond in Arlington on felony weapons charges this past fall.

Arlington resident Tyayre Reynolds, 21, was arrested by officers during a traffic stop along S. Glebe Road on the evening of Friday, Feb. 10. He was later transferred to the custody of the Alexandria Police Department, according to Arlington County police.

Reynolds was wanted in Alexandria in connection with a shooting that happened there that same day, in the Arlandria neighborhood.

A 30-year-old man was shot in the upper body and suffered significant but non-life-threatening injuries in the attack, our sister site ALXnow reported. Reynolds was charged with malicious wounding, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Reynolds was out on bond while awaiting trial for the weapons charges in Arlington, according to court records.

He also previously pleaded guilty in July 2022 to a misdemeanor assault charge after threatening, then shoving, an Arlington Public Safety Aide while his car was towed.

(Public Safety Aide is the term for ACPD personnel who enforce parking regulations and help with traffic control, among other responsibilities.)

Arlington County and Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti says her office argued in October for Reynolds to be held in jail for the felony gun possession charges, but he was instead released on bond by a judge.

“We objected to bond… [but] the court made the decision to release him on various conditions,” says Dehghani-Tafti. “We take serious conduct seriously.”

ARLnow requested comment from judges with the Arlington County General District Court, but did not receive a response by publication time. The Office of the Magistrate handles the initial bond decision when the police are charging someone. General District Court judges handle bond motions.

Reynolds was pulled over in the early morning hours of Oct. 20, 2022 because the car he was driving was improperly registered and he didn’t stop at a red light, police allege. He was given two traffic citations, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. Additionally, police searched his car and found a firearm, so they arrested him on charges of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

These stem from a felony conviction in Maryland. In September 2018, a then-17-year-old Reynolds was charged as an adult for assault and armed robbery of a food delivery driver in Waldorf, Southern Maryland News Net reported at the time.

Reynolds robbed the worker of $91 in cash at gunpoint, struck him with the butt of the gun, and kicked him while he was down, per the article. He kicked the delivery man in the torso and legs while he was down. Officers found a semi-automatic-style BB gun on the scene, broken in two after it was used to strike the victim.

Maryland Circuit Court records indicate he plead guilty in February 2019 and was sentenced in May 2019 to just over two years in prison.

While Reynolds is being held in Alexandria, he has a court date in Arlington General District Court on March 23. The court is checking on the status of an “evidentiary matter” for his prior felony weapon and ammunition possession case, says Dehghani-Tafti.

This July, he has a hearing on whether or not he has met the conditions of his release for the misdemeanor charge from May, the prosecutor said. Conditions usually include good behavior.

Charges that Tyayre Reynolds faces in Arlington County General District Court (via Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System)

ALXnow reporter James Cullum contributed to this report

Man shot at Courthouse hotel overnight

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man was shot and seriously injured in Courthouse early this morning.

Initial reports suggest a man was shot in the lower torso in the parking garage of the Hilton Garden Inn on N. Courthouse Road, a block from Arlington County police headquarters, potentially as a result of a robbery.

The victim was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Police are working to sort out the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting.

“The investigation into the events that preceded the shooting is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact ACPD’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected],” police said via social media.

UPDATED: Police investigating overnight shooting in front of Columbia Pike lounge

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 1 p.m.) A man was shot in front of a lounge on Columbia Pike early this morning, continuing a string of violent incidents.

The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. in front of Caspi, located at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive, next to the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse. It followed a dispute inside the lounge, according to police.

Initial reports suggest that a man was shot multiple times, including in the lower torso, and that a dark-colored Audi or BMW was seen speeding away after. There was at least one bullet hole in the window of Caspi, but no one inside was injured, according to scanner traffic.

Responding officers called for backup due to a large crowd around the scene.

Arlington County police say the man suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a local hospital. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.

It is unclear whether this morning’s shooting is related to recent incidents in and around Arlington, including:

ACPD issued the following press release about the shooting just before 1 p.m.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a shooting that took place on Columbia Pike in the early morning hours of February 4, 2023.

At approximately 12:53 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a shooting in the 2900 block of Columbia Pike. Responding officers located an adult male victim on the sidewalk suffering from gunshot wounds and immediately began rendering aid. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition.

The preliminary investigation indicates a dispute inside a restaurant involving a large group preceded the shooting. The victim then exited the restaurant and the suspect brandished a firearm and discharged multiple rounds, injuring the victim and causing property damage to the building. The suspect fled the scene on foot and officers canvassed the area yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a slim build, Black male in his 20’s.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with videos, photos, or other media which may assist the investigation is asked to upload those files to our evidence submission portal. Any additional information related to this incident may be provided by contacting the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

DEVELOPING: Person shot, Bob & Edith’s on Columbia Pike damaged after night of gunfire

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) One person was seriously injured and Bob & Edith’s Diner was damaged after two incidents of gunfire in Arlington last night.

The first shooting happened in the Green Valley neighborhood, near the intersection of 22nd Street S. and S. Kenmore Street, shortly after 11 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing 5-6 gunshots in the area, exchanged between two vehicles, per scanner traffic.

Shortly thereafter, gunfire was reported along the 2300 block of Columbia Pike and apparent bullet holes were found in the windows of Bob & Edith’s Diner. No one at the diner was hurt, according to police.

Then, at 11:20 p.m., an officer reported to dispatch that a person who was shot had arrived at Virginia Hospital Center in a car with numerous bullet holes. The driver of the vehicle was detained for questioning, per scanner traffic.

Police said the gunshot victim was treated for “serious injuries.” The Fairfax County police helicopter was called in to help search for the suspects but nothing was found, according to Arlington County police.

In a press release issued later this morning, police said that the victim is in stable condition, confirmed that the two shootings are linked, and asked for tips.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim was stopped at the traffic light at 22nd Street S. and S. Kenmore Street when the suspect discharged multiple rounds at the victim’s vehicle from a black sedan. Following the shooting, the victim drove away from the scene but the suspect followed and discharged additional rounds towards the victim’s vehicle at Columbia Pike and S. Wayne Street. The victim was then able to leave the scene and seek medical assistance at a hospital.

Responding officers processed both scenes, collected evidence, spoke with witnesses and conducted an aerial search with the assistance of a police helicopter. Residents are asked to review their home surveillance for any video that may assist the ongoing investigation. Additionally, anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

This was not the week’s first outburst of gunfire. Shots were fired overnight Sunday into Monday in the Green Valley and Arlington Mills neighborhoods, but no injuries have been reported from those incidents.

There were at least three shootings in Green Valley last year:

  • A man shot and seriously injured near the Lucky Seven Food Mart on July 6, 2022
  • A man shot by police after he allegedly walked around the neighborhood firing gunshots at random on Oct. 14, 2022
  • A man shot and seriously injured after an apparent dispute, resulting in the arrest of a 40-year-old Arlington resident, on Nov. 27, 2022

Arlington teen arrested after another teen shot to death in Alexandria

By ARLnow.com
Courtyard by Marriott Alexandria Pentagon South (via Google Maps)

A 17-year-old Arlington boy is in custody after another teen was shot to death in an Alexandria hotel over the weekend

The shooting happened Friday night on an upper floor of the Courtyard by Marriott Alexandria Pentagon South Hotel, along I-395 near the Mark Center, according to scanner traffic.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting are not clear, but Alexandria police reportedly took the Arlington teen into custody a couple of blocks from the hotel. So far, he has only been charged with possession of a firearm by a person under 18.

More from an Alexandria police press release:

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a deadly shooting incident that occurred Friday, January 27, 2023, in the 4600 block of Kenmore Avenue.

At approximately 11:29 p.m. APD Officers were dispatched to a shots fired call for service in the 4600 block of Kenmore Avenue. Upon arrival, police discovered one victim, a 17-year-old juvenile male, non-city resident, with upper body trauma from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was then transported to the hospital and later was pronounced dead.

APD has made one arrest in connection with this incident of a 17-year-old juvenile male, an Arlington County resident. The male was charged with possession of a firearm by a person under 18.

This incident remains under investigation and APD is asking anyone who may have information related to this case to contact Detective Matthew Kramarik via phone at 703.746.6650, email at [email protected], or call our non-emergency line at 703.746.4444. Tips can be anonymous.

Photo via Google Maps. Hat tip to Alan Henney.

Pentagon City theft suspect was out on bond after alleged BB gun shooting in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
Metro Transit Police SUV (file photo)

A 32-year-old man is in jail after being arrested for a second time in less than a month.

Necho Taylor, a D.C. resident, was initially arrested the night of Friday, Dec. 23, after he allegedly shot a woman with a BB gun while riding an escalator at the Rosslyn Metro station. Taylor was taken into custody by Metro Transit Police outside of the Clarendon Metro station, after attempting to flee from officers, and the gun was found in his coat, according to an arrest report.

Taylor spent Christmas in the Arlington County jail on a felony malicious wounding charge but was released on bond by a judge on Dec. 28, according to court records. He is also facing a felony conspiracy charge and a citation for resisting arrest in connection to the case.

The motive for the BB gun shooting was unclear. The victim was treated for an arm injury at Virginia Hospital Center, per the Metro Transit Police arrest report.

Three weeks after being released on bond, Taylor was back in Arlington. Police say he entered a business on the 1000 block of S. Hayes Street — which corresponds with the Macy’s in Pentagon City — and, around noon, fled with stolen merchandise.

He was spotted by Arlington officers and led them on a brief foot pursuit before being taken into custody, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

More from ACPD:

GRAND LARCENY (Significant), 2023-01180108, 1000 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 12:04 p.m. on January 18, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect had entered the business, selected merchandise and attempted to exit without payment. A loss prevention officer confronted the suspect and he fled the scene on foot. A suspect description was broadcast and responding officers located him walking in the area. An officer gave the suspect commands which he refused to follow and fled the scene on foot. Following a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody. Necho Taylor, 32, of Washington, DC was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny and Obstruction of Justice. He was held without bond.

Taylor previously was sentenced to 5 months in jail in Arlington in 2016, for petty larceny, according to court records. He’s currently in the county jail awaiting his next court hearing on Feb. 23, records show.

Police on lookout for airsoft gun drive-by shooter

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

Four people suffered minor injuries Wednesday night during a pellet gun drive-by shooting.

The incident happened on the 3200 block of Columbia Pike, just east of S. Glebe Road, around 6 p.m. It involved 3-4 male suspects in a white SUV, including the shooter of the airsoft gun, who is believed to be in his 20s.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ASSAULT AND BATTERY (Significant), 2022-12070175, 3200 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 6:11 p.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, it was determined unknown male suspect(s) discharged an airsoft gun from a vehicle, striking four victims with pellets. The victims reported minor injuries which did not require medical treatment. Responding officers canvassed the area yielding negative results. The suspect vehicle is described as a white SUV with three or four male occupants. Suspect One is described as a White male in his 20s with short dark hair and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. There are no other descriptions for the vehicle’s occupants. The investigation is ongoing.

Back in March police responded to a series of drive-by paintball and pellet gun shootings that might have been inspired by a viral video trend. Few, if any, such shootings have been reported since in Arlington, until Wednesday’s incident.

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