Fairfax County police are investigating a fatal shooting in Chantilly that’s being described as domestic in nature.
Officers responded to a home in the 13000 block of Pennypacker Lane around 6:09 a.m. today (Friday) after getting a 911 call reporting that multiple gunshots had been fired inside the house.
Upon arriving, officers found an 87-year-old woman, later identified as Marilyn Sommer, who had gunshot wounds to her upper body. She was declared deceased at the scene, according to Capt. Kent Bailey, commander of the Fairfax County Police Department’s public affairs bureau.
Douglas Sommer, an 88-year-old man who was identified as the woman’s husband, has been taken into custody.
Officers are on scene of a fatal domestic-related shooting that occurred inside a home in the 13000 blk of Pennypacker Ln in Chantilly. An adult woman was declared deceased at the scene. The suspect, an adult male, is in custody. Detectives are investigating. pic.twitter.com/4I4xsRdRg6
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 28, 2025
“Preliminarily it is believed that the husband shot his wife over an argument that ensued inside the residence,” Bailey said at a briefing around 9:30 a.m. “Currently, there is no threat to public safety. This seems to be an isolated incident that occurred inside the residence.”
Scanner traffic suggested the argument might have stemmed from plans for the couple to move into an assisted living facility, but Bailey confirmed only that the circumstances are still under investigation.
The 911 call was placed by the couple’s daughter, who was in the house when the shooting occurred and is now being interviewed by police as a witness.
The case is being investigated as a domestic-related homicide, Bailey said.
“The detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau as well as our crime scene section will remain at the scene through the morning into the early afternoon as we investigate the circumstances of the shooting,” Bailey said.
🎥 Watch as Captain Bailey provides an update on the fatal domestic related shooting in the 13000 block of Pennypacker Ln in Chantilly ➡️ pic.twitter.com/A3XAUIxNpu
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 28, 2025
In an update released on Friday afternoon, the FCPD announced that Douglas Sommer has been charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He’s currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
“Detectives continue to conduct interviews and process evidence recovered from the scene to determine the circumstances that led up to the fatal shooting,” the police department said.
Jared Serre contributed to this report.
