The Fredericksburg Police Department responded to a series of tragic events that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left two juveniles with minor injuries early Wednesday evening.
Officers were dispatched following reports of shots fired at approximately 5:32 p.m. An initial investigation indicates that a male driver was pursuing a female driver in separate vehicles along Olde William Street and Emancipation Highway in a domestic dispute. During the pursuit, the male suspect began shooting rounds from a firearm at the female’s vehicle.
The female driver, attempting to evade the suspect, crashed her vehicle in the area of College Avenue and Emancipation Highway. Investigators determined she sustained multiple gunshot wounds before crashing the vehicle. Officers quickly arrived at the crash scene, provided emergency aid, and the female was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Two juveniles, ages 7 and 3, were in the female’s vehicle at the time and sustained minor injuries from the crash, not from gunfire.
As officers arrived at the crash location, the suspect was observed attempting to flee in his vehicle. Officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver failed to yield, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. As the pursuit approached Wilderness Lane, the driver suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The deceased was the sole occupant of the vehicle. No rounds were fired by police.
The deceased were the parents of both juveniles, who were placed in the care of family.
There are no outstanding suspects at this time. Evidence collection will continue into the evening as there are multiple crime scenes. The police department will not release additional details.
