A 19-year-old man was shot to death trying to break up a fight early Sunday morning, according to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office.
Christian Whalen was at a bonfire party in a wooded area off Spotswood Furnace Road when another teenager shot him. A sheriff’s deputy drove him from the scene to a rescue station, from where he was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Whalen’s girlfriend, Lacy Milling, said she warned him against going to the party and became worried when he didn’t return her text messages. Then she saw frightening posts on social media.
“Then I go on Snapchat and I see people posting on their story ‘pray for Christian,’” she said. “Just, it was everywhere.”
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. >Sign up here.
Soon she got a message from Whalen’s father confirming her fears.
“I see a notification from his dad saying, ‘Christian died,’” she said. “Literally, those two words.”
She was not surprised to learn investigators believe he was trying to stop trouble.
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia news, events and updates
“He does not like arguing at all,” she said. “He hates it so much.”
Lacy said she lost the love of her life. She had been in a serious relationship with Whalen for almost a year. Her father said Whalen lived with their family for several months.
“He’s the most, like, kindest person,” Lacy said. “He would help anybody, like, even it came down to his worst enemy.”
Kenneth Watson, 18, is charged with homicide, accused of firing the fatal gunshot.
“He took what I wanted the most, which was almost a family to grow up with,” Lacy said. “I almost had what I wanted, but he took it from me.”
The sheriff’s office wants to hear from anyone with information about the shooting.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
