Three men are being held without bond after a gunfight in Old Town Manassas left a 16-year-old girl dead during the city’s First Friday event, according to the Manassas Police Department.
Police say the teenager was an innocent bystander who was struck as gunfire erupted near the railroad tracks on the night of Friday, Sept. 4.
The shooting happened at about 9:28 p.m. near the 9400 block of West Street. Officers in the area heard the shots and quickly found two people who had been wounded. Officers provided emergency first aid before both were taken to area hospitals.
The 16-year-old girl later died from her injuries.
The other person wounded was 21-year-old Tasheem Douglas, who police now allege was one of the shooters. He
suffered a gunshot wound to the leg or buttock area and was arrested Sept. 5.
As detectives continued piecing together what happened, police said they determined that 19-year-old Xavier Wanzer approached and confronted Douglas. Investigators say the two had a hostile relationship before the encounter.
According to police, Douglas pulled out a gun and fired several rounds at Wanzer. Wanzer was not hit, but police allege one of those shots struck the 16-year-old bystander.
Investigators say the shooting did not end there.
As Douglas fled, Wanzer allegedly returned fire. Police say 23-year-old Talib Davis was also at the scene and fired at Douglas from the train depot parking lot at about the same time Wanzer was shooting.
Wanzer and Davis then fled, according to police.
With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, investigators located and arrested both men on Sept. 8.
Douglas has been charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Wanzer faces charges of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and shooting in a public place within 1,000 feet of a school.
Davis has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and shooting in a public place within 1,000 feet of a school.
Police said all three men are being held at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center without bond.
The arrests follow several days of rapidly developing information after the shooting disrupted First Friday in Old Town Manassas.
Early in the investigation, police reported that two shooters had exchanged gunfire near the railroad tracks before fleeing and said the 16-year-old appeared to have been an innocent bystander. Investigators subsequently identified additional people they allege were involved and developed the sequence of events described in Wednesday’s update.
The case puts a grim focus on the consequences of gunfire in one of Manassas’ busiest gathering places. First Friday brings residents and visitors into Old Town, where restaurants, businesses and public spaces are concentrated around the historic downtown and railroad depot.
Police have continued to seek information from people who were in Old Town when the shooting occurred, including photographs, cellphone video and doorbell-camera footage.
The charges against Douglas, Wanzer and Davis are allegations. Each is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.