The suspect behind a recent shooting in the Herndon area that killed a student from Herndon High School is also a juvenile, Fairfax County police say.
The unnamed “juvenile male suspect” has been charged with second degree murder, using a firearm in the commission of a felony and shooting from a vehicle, the Fairfax County Police Department announced on Saturday (Oct. 25).
The boy is currently in custody at the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center.
Police have been investigating the shooting since a community member reported seeing an unconscious person lying on the ground in the 13000 block of Parcher Avenue in the Hutchison neighborhood at 9:31 p.m. on Oct. 15.
Upon arriving, officers found an unresponsive boy suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was declared dead at the scene.
The FCPD hasn’t publicly shared any information about the victim’s identity or possible connection to the shooter, but police say they don’t believe it was a random act of violence.
According to NBC4 Washington, the victim was 16-year-old Evin Alberto Herrera, a Herndon High School student who received death threats from classmates about a month before he was killed. His father told NBC4 that he reported concerns about his son’s safety to the school, but no authorities followed up.
The FCPD says its investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.
“Victim specialists from our Major Crimes Bureau’s Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure that the victim’s family is receiving appropriate resources and assistance,” the FCPD said.
