MANASSAS, Va. — A homicide investigation is underway after two women were found shot to death in a Manassas home early Tuesday morning.
At 12:45 a.m., officers with the Prince William County Police Department responded to the Westgate Apartments and Townhomes, located on Porters Ridge Lane, for reports of a man with a gun. At the same time, a 61-year-old man called police separately to report he had been carjacked at gunpoint by an unknown man in the 8100 block of Portwood Turn in Manassas.
Officers responded to the area and spoke to the initial victim who had just parked his car when he was approached by the suspect who pulled out a gun and took his vehicle. The victim was unharmed.
Detectives checked the area and were unable to find the suspect or the stolen car.
Several hours later, officers were alerted by law enforcement in Shenandoah County that a man, later identified as the suspect, was being held in their area after the man's car had reportedly stopped working in the area of I-66 and I-81. Police say the man walked to a nearby convenience store where authorities were notified, and the car he was driving was confirmed as stolen from Prince William County.
During the investigation, additional information obtained prompted a welfare check at the apartment building on Porter Ridge Lane in Manassas. Officers knocked on the door several times, to no avail. When officers got inside the home, they discovered two women suffering from gunshot wounds. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene, and have sine been identified as Leann Renee Harris, 34, and Asia Payne, 22, both of the Manassas area
Investigators say both victims and the suspect were known to each other.
Following the investigation, detectives obtained arrest warrants for the man, identified as Edward James Jackson Bland, who remains in custody in Shenandoah County. Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident to determine what led up to the shooting and are seeking to speak with anyone who has information to aid in the investigation.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Prince William County police at 703-792-6500 or submit a tip online at pwcva.gov/policetip.
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