Police Chief Doug Keen says community information is helping investigators, who are still determining whether a wounded 21-year-old man was connected to the shooting.
2-MINUTE BRIEF
WHAT POLICE NOW BELIEVE: Investigators believe two shooters exchanged gunfire near the railroad tracks in Old Town Manassas and then fled the area.
VICTIMS: Police Chief Doug Keen said the 16-year-old girl who was killed was an innocent bystander. A 21-year-old man was taken to Fairfax Hospital for surgery, and investigators are still determining whether he was involved.
PUBLIC HELP: Police say information already provided by the community has been extremely helpful. Investigators continue asking for witnesses, photos and video.
HOW TO HELP: Information can be provided to Manassas City Police, and a QR code on the department’s website and social-media pages allows the public to upload photos and video directly to investigators.
Manassas City Police now believe two shooters exchanged gunfire in Old Town Manassas Friday night before fleeing the area, Police Chief Doug Keen told the Manassas Journal Saturday morning. Keen said the 16-year-old girl who was killed was an innocent bystander.
The Manassas Journal first reported on the shooting Friday night as police secured the scene and released initial information. This follow-up reflects additional details Keen provided in a Saturday morning interview.
Before discussing the investigation, Keen first spoke about the girl and the impact on her family.
“I’m a parent,” Keen said. “My sympathy goes out to them.”
Keen said the girl was “completely unrelated” to the confrontation and had simply been in Old Town to enjoy the evening.
A 21-year-old man was also wounded and taken to Fairfax Hospital, where Keen said he was undergoing surgery. Police are still investigating whether the man was connected to the shooting.
Two Shooters Believed to Have Exchanged Gunfire
Keen said the investigation remains preliminary and details could change as detectives review evidence and interview witnesses.
He said investigators currently believe two shooters were “exchanging gunshots towards each other” before fleeing the immediate area.
Police worked through the night and were continuing the investigation Saturday morning.
Keen said the department is being careful about what it releases while investigators confirm the facts.
“There’s a lot of information on social media that is not factual,” Keen said. “We need to cut that out and make sure the facts are out there.”
Community Information Is Helping
Keen thanked residents who began contacting police after the shooting and said the information they provided has been extremely helpful to the investigation.
Police continue asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or has photographs or video from the area to come forward.
The department has posted a QR code on its website and social-media pages that allows people to upload photos, videos and other information directly to investigators.
Detective Tim Urey is assigned to the case. Anyone with information can also contact police at 703-257-8043.
First Friday Had Drawn Thousands Downtown
The shooting occurred while First Friday was underway in Old Town.
Keen said First Friday typically draws approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people, with summer events sometimes reaching as many as 16,000.
Keen said First Friday events have generally been safe, with past police calls typically involving public intoxication and disorderly conduct rather than incidents of this severity.
Investigation Remains Active
By Saturday morning, the immediate incident was over and Old Town had reopened, but the investigation remained active.
Investigators were continuing to review evidence, witness accounts, photographs and video.
Police had not publicly identified the shooters as of Saturday morning. Keen said additional information would be released as investigators confirm the facts.
