FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Detectives are investigating three separate shootings in Fairfax County that could be connected. The shootings left people injured and property damaged over the last six months.
The Fairfax County Police Department reports all three incidents happened in the Bailey’s Crossroads area in parking lots near the 5500 block of Leesburg Pike.
The first shooting happened on the night of July 16. Officers say they were called after a resident reported his vehicle had been struck by an unknown projectile. The vehicle had damage consistent with what detectives believed to be gunfire.
The owner said they were leaving a car meet-up in the area before the shooting occurred. One person at the event suffered a gunshot wound that wasn't life-threatening.
The second shooting was reported at 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 23. Officers responded to the 3500 block of South Jefferson Street, just west of the 5500 block of Leesburg Pike, after two residents said their cars had been struck by gunfire.
No one was injured in that shooting, but the second incident prompted an hours-long shelter-in-place in the area. Fairfax County Police initially reported that the shots had been fired from a high-rise apartment complex. Hours later, investigators said gunfire did not come from an elevated location and that it likely came from ground level.
At 8:46 p.m. on Dec. 28, police claim officers were in a parking lot in the 5500 block of Leesburg Pike where a car meet-up was being held. Officials said that after clearing the parking lot, officers discovered several vehicles had been struck by gunfire and two people suffered minor injuries.
Detectives suspect all three shootings are related.
Car meetups are common in the area according to Fairfax County Police. They say anywhere between two to one hundred cars gather in the parking area to show off their vehicles. These informal gatherings have also prompted an increase in complaints from neighbors.
"It's annoying and it's dangerous first and foremost," said a resident who asked that his identity not be revealed. He says erratic driving in the area poses an additional threat in an area that is already not friendly for pedestrians.
"I have personally called the county police four times about the noise, the racing, and the screeching of tires," he added. The neighbor says the car meetups have kept him up for hours and he was not surprised that they have led to shootings.
Detectives are trying to determine the direction and location where the shots are coming from and who is behind the gunfire.
Anyone with information about any of the shootings should call the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 0. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) and online by clicking here.