MANASSAS, VA — A 16-year-old girl died and a 21-year-old man was wounded after a shooting late Friday night during a crowded event in Old Town Manassas, police said.
The violence happened shortly before 9:30 p.m. near the Manassas Train Depot, in an area where city streets were closed for a monthly block party with live music and family activities. Police said the gathering drew roughly 10,000 people.
Authorities said one suspect, Tasheem Douglas, 21, of Prince William County, has been arrested and now faces several charges tied to the shooting. Another suspect remains at large.
Police say gunfire erupted near the railroad tracks
Investigators believe two shooters exchanged gunfire near the railroad tracks before running from the area. Police said the 16-year-old girl was struck during that exchange and later died from her injuries.
The wounded man was taken to a hospital in serious but non-life-threatening condition. Police also identified him as Douglas, saying he is among the suspects in the case.
Douglas faces charges of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Police have not said what may have led to the gunfire.
A downtown block party turned into a major police scene
The shooting unfolded during one of the city’s first-Friday downtown events, which temporarily close streets in Old Town Manassas. The monthly gathering is promoted as a family-friendly block party featuring live music and community activities.
Manassas City Police Chief Douglas Keen said the turnout was unusually large, estimating about 10,000 people were in the area that night. He said investigators believe witnesses saw at least part of what happened.
The size of the crowd, along with the location near a busy downtown rail area, made the scene especially complicated for officers responding to the shooting.
One suspect in custody, another still being sought
Police said the case remains active as detectives search for the second shooter. Authorities have not publicly described that person or said whether investigators have identified the suspect.
Douglas was arrested after the shooting and is being held on the murder and firearm charges, according to police. The department has not released additional details about the circumstances of the arrest.
Investigators are still working to piece together the sequence of events before and after the gunfire near the depot and railroad tracks.
Chief asks parents and witnesses to come forward
Keen urged anyone with information to contact police, saying witnesses in the crowd may hold key details. He specifically asked parents to talk with children and adult family members who were at the event.
Police are asking people to call 703-257-8043 or upload photos and video through the department’s evidence-submission portal. Officers said even images that do not appear to show the shooting could help investigators.
“Someone saw something,” Keen said at a briefing. “We need our community’s help to help identify the shooters involved in this incident tonight.”
Investigators are reviewing photos, video and witness accounts
Police said the appeal for tips is broad because large public events often generate footage from phones, cars and nearby businesses. That material may help detectives track movement before and after the shooting.
Investigators are also trying to determine how the two shooters encountered each other and what triggered the exchange of gunfire. For now, police have released only the basic facts of the case and the charges filed against Douglas.
The city’s monthly downtown block party normally brings music and crowds to Old Town Manassas. This time, it became the focus of a homicide investigation and an active search for a second suspect.
Community event interrupted by deadly gunfire
For residents and visitors, the shooting cut short a night built around a public gathering and turned a busy downtown into a crime scene. Police said the event had drawn thousands of people before the shots were fired.
Officials have not announced any broader changes to the city’s first-Friday events. The immediate priority remains identifying the second shooter and collecting witness accounts from people who were in the area Friday night.
Manassas police said updates will likely depend on what witnesses, video and other evidence show as the investigation continues.
Local stories that matter, from GHS The Student.
