A 17-year-old was arrested Tuesday after a drug-related robbery led to the death of two people in a shooting and stabbing incident in Falls Church Monday afternoon, according to Fairfax County Police Department.
On Wednesday, police announced that 18-year-old Vladimir Garcia Montes, of Falls Church, was also charged in the case.
The incident occurred in the 2200 block of Pimmit Run Lane around 3:30 p.m., FCPD said. This is near a busy shopping area by Leesburg Pike.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found one man, identified as 20-year-old Jonas Skinner, shot and killed in a laundry room at one of the apartment buildings. Three additional people were found in a parking lot stabbed in the upper body, police said.
All three of the stabbing victims were taken to nearby hospitals. One of the victims, identified as 18-year-old Braden Deahl, later died at the hospital, police said. The two juveniles taken to a nearby hospital had non-life-threatening stab wounds. As of Tuesday, one of them is still at the hospital. Deahl was a senior soccer star at Washington & Liberty High School, 7News confirmed.
During the investigation, detectives said they were able to recover a backpack filled with narcotics and a knife at the scene. K9 officers located a significant amount of marijuana, police said in a news release.
Police believe that all individuals involved met up "for a specific reason." They added that the individuals involved were known to each other and this was not a random act of violence.
The 17-year-old has been charged with robbery resulting in death.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death of the victims in the coming days.
A letter went home to the school community about Deahl's death:
Dear Washington-Liberty Families,
It is with great sadness that I inform you that one of our seniors, Braden Deahl, died on Monday Braden was a beloved member of the Washington-Liberty family, and impacted the lives of many of our students and staff members. He brought much joy to all who knew him, especially his soccer teammates and fellow 12th graders. We all deeply feel his loss.
We know that people within our community will be personally impacted by this loss. On Wednesday, May 31, we will have counseling staff available for any student who feels that they might need extra support. We will maintain as normal a schedule as possible while providing assistance and acknowledging the individual needs of students at this difficult time.
Students who knew Braden or his family may experience a variety of emotions and you may see the following behaviors: tearfulness, vivid dreams, irritability, clinginess, withdrawal, physical complaints, fear of dying, or difficulty concentrating. Please talk with your student and note that it is important to provide them with reassurance and the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. The resources below from the National Association of School Psychologists also provide tips and ideas to support your child with loss:
If you have concerns about your child and this loss, please contact your child’s school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker. The W-L Counseling Office can be reached at 703-228-6250.
Our deepest sympathies go out to Braden’s family and friends. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Tony Hall
Principal