One man is dead and another is battling life-threatening injuries after an early-morning shooting in Woodlawn on Thursday (April 3).
The Fairfax County Police Department responded to the Mallard Courts Apartments in the 8400 block of Madge Lane around 1:31 a.m. for a report of shots fired.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the shooting began as a “dispute” between Xavier Alexander, 43, of Alexandria and Shawn Banks, 26, of Maryland, though the nature of the dispute remains unclear.
“Alexander then shot multiple times into the residence, striking a third man,” the FCPD said in a press release on Friday (April 4). “Banks then shot Alexander multiple times before fleeing the scene.”
According to FCPD Capt. Jesse Katzman, the department already “had resources in the area prior to the dispute,” so officers “were able to respond quickly and gather that evidence.”
Upon arriving, police officers and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel “began performing life-saving measures, but Alexander died at the scene, police said. The third, unidentified man was taken to a hospital with injuries considered life-threatening.
The FCPD says its Fugitive Tracking and Apprehension Team found Banks in Maryland with help from the Prince George’s County Police Department, which took him into custody.
Currently at the Prince George’s County Jail, Banks will be extradited to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm as a felon, the FCPD said.
The shooting occurred in the same apartment complex — one building away — as the scene of a 2023 shooting that killed a 28-year-old woman.
Captain Jesse Katzman provides updates on the shooting that occurred in the Woodlawn area earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/grgif5ydeg
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 3, 2025
