A Lorton man has been convicted of murder after he shot his girlfriend last year, though he claimed to police that she had died by suicide.
Huy Tien Nguyen, 48, was convicted of second-degree murder by a Fairfax County Circuit Court jury today (Monday), a charge that could result in up to 40 years in prison, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced.
Prosecutors argued in a trial last week that Nguyen shot Alison LaPorta, a 38-year-old Lorton resident, on April 17, 2024 following an argument at a local Revolution Darts & Billards earlier that evening, NBC4 reported.
Witnesses testified that Nguyen had made threatening statements about LaPorta during the argument.
Police responded to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital at 11:35 p.m. that night after Nguyen drove LaPorta there. Suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper body, she was later transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she died.
According to NBC4, in video shown during the trial, Nguyen initially told police that LaPorta was hit by “random gunfire” in an Annandale parking lot before claiming that she shot herself.
Defense attorneys continued to argue that LaPorta had died by suicide during the trial, citing medical records of a past mental health crisis, NBC4 reported.
However, prosecutors argued that the trajectory of the bullet, among other evidence, showed that Nguyen had pulled the trigger while sitting with LaPorta in her car.
“Kate should still be with us today,” Descano said in a statement. “Max Nguyen’s needless actions stole a daughter from her parents and a mother from her children. I’m relieved that his attempts to lie about what happened to Kate did not allow him to escape accountability. I hope that this conviction can bring some measure of closure to Kate’s family.”
In addition to second-degree murder, Nguyen was convicted today of using a firearm while committing a felony — a charge that carries a potential sentence of three years in prison. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13, 2026.
