Investigators on Wednesday said three suspects are in custody after a 16-year-old girl died in a shootout at a community event in Manassas, with two of the alleged gunmen having criminal records that include violent and gun-related arrests.
Manassas City Police Chief Doug Keen said officers tracked down suspects Xavier Wanzer, 19, of Orange, and Talib Davis, 23, of Fauquier County, Tuesday night with the help of the U.S. Marshals.
Both face malicious wounding and felony gun charges in the Sept. 4 shooting at a monthly First Friday event, the chief said.
The two suspects are accused of returning fire at Tasheem Douglas, the 21-year-old who initiated Friday’s shootout and is charged with killing the teen bystander, whom authorities only identified as Ashley.
Mr. Douglas was wounded in the exchange and remains hospitalized, Chief Keen said. The three suspects know each other from a prior beef, he said, without divulging more details.
Virginia judiciary records show Mr. Douglas and Mr. Davis were both out on bond at the time on gun-related arrests earlier this year, in Prince William and Warren counties respectively.
Mr. Douglas’ record also includes arrests over the past three years on charges of assault, brandishing firearms, shoplifting and trespassing.
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth said the suspect only served short stints in jail in the handful of cases where her office secured a conviction, and she does not have final say in whether to imprison a defendant.
“Under Virginia law, Commonwealth’s Attorneys do not set bond,” Ms. Ashworth said in a statement Tuesday. “Bond decisions are made by magistrates and judges.”
Chief Keen on Wednesday suggested that the top prosecutor shared Mr. Douglas’ criminal history to respond to community frustration about why the suspect had been allowed to roam the streets.
The chief then said recent changes to the criminal justice system may be to blame.
“There absolutely was police and criminal justice reform in 2020. There needed to be. Sometimes we may go too far with that,” Chief Keen said.
“What you’ll hear from [Ms. Ashworth], from law enforcement, and maybe even the courts — maybe it’s time we go back and take a look. Maybe we went too far with some of these policies and the laws that are put in place. I know it didn’t keep us safe on Friday night. It didn’t keep Ashley safe,” he said.
The chief ended by saying it’s “part of a conversation we have to have with the General Assembly.”
Violent defendants being released on bond has become a hot-button issue in the commonwealth this year.
An unauthorized immigrant with multiple prior arrests on rape and stabbing charges was accused of February’s Fairfax County stabbing that killed 41-year-old Stephanie Minter.
Internal emails revealed that Fairfax County police brass pleaded with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to keep suspect Abdul Jalloh behind bars following one of his arrests last fall, arguing he was a danger to the public.
Jalloh was instead released, and Minter was killed four months later.
The slaying invited fresh criticism of Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, an acolyte of left-wing billionaire George Soros.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill grilled Mr. Descano over past campaign statements in which he said he would treat illegal-immigrant defendants differently because a conviction could result in their deportation.
Mr. Descano later took down the page from his campaign website. His office said campaign statements are not official policy.
Minter’s mother, Cheryl Minter, has since launched a recall effort against Mr. Descano.
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