A Loudoun County teenager is under arrest and charged with murder in a weekend shooting that killed a 16-year-old.
The victim was found in an SUV in the parking lot of a Harris Teeter grocery store in Ashburn, Virginia, on Saturday. His name was not released because he's a juvenile. News4 has learned he was a student at Riverside High School.
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WATCH HEREBy Sunday afternoon, 19-year-old Fadlalla Mohamed was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a firearms charge.
Broken glass littered the asphalt Monday at an apartment complex where a planned meeting between teenagers two days earlier turned deadly.
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SIGN UP Court documents explain what led up to the fatal gunfire. Investigators wrote a 17-year-old drove the 16-year-old victim to the apartment complex for a pre-arranged drug deal.
Investigators say when Mohamed showed up, he got out of his vehicle, pulled out a weapon and shot the victim in the neck without warning.
The 16-year-old, a passenger in an SUV, was driven the short distance from the Broadlands apartment to the grocery store parking lot where he died.
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The sheriff’s office says the 17-year-old driver is not considered a suspect.
A resident in the apartment complex said a tire mark was left on the curb as the SUV carrying the victim fled from the scene.
Investigators used video from residents, dash cams and vehicle databases to identify the vehicle driven by the suspect. Then, they tracked Mohamed down and arrested him.
In a statement, Sheriff Mike Chapman wrote, “I am proud of the many deputies, detectives, analysts and others who worked around-the-clock to identify the suspect, then locate and arrest him. The arrest of a suspect in less than 24 hours is a tribute to their diligence and skills …”
A resident who lives in the apartment complex where the shooting took place told News4’s Jessica Albert Sunday they are surprised to learn of a violent crime in what’s viewed as a very safe community — and saddened to learn of the teen’s death.
“For a parent to lose their child for a family member, to lose another, especially amongst this time, is a harrowing, terrible experience,” the neighbor, Lorenzo Gomez, said.
News4 stopped by the home where Mohamed lives with relatives, but they declined comment.
News4 also learned the accused shooter was already facing charges in another case. Mohamed was arrested in February, accused of having sex with a minor. In court, he described himself as a student at Northern Virginia Community College.
He’s being held without bond on the murder charge.
