Carjacking in Alexandria, One Dead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The driver has to live with knowing he took a life, so that sucks. I wonder how many times the carjackers have successfully taken cars or committed other crimes with no consequences.

How many people would this bother? I am pretty sure it would not bother me if I killed people breaking into my house or car jacking me. Is that a minority view?

Half the country believes in victim blaming and that if you’re attacked or assaulted you shouldn’t resist.

In the worst cities they’re even indoctrinating people to leave their cars unlocked, so when you’re inevitably robbed, there’s no need to break the window.

Or if you’re robbed, at home and held hostage, “just give them what they want”.

NP and not the PP to whom you're responding, but re: the bold, I knew many people who did this -- leaving cars empty of everything and with doors unlocked -- in the District, starting in the 1990s right up to today. I suspect a lot of people in DC and many other cities have done this for a long time and still do it.

Not sure why you're dramatically flapping your hands about how "in the worst cities" a mysterious "they" are now "indoctrinating people" to do this. It's been done by some people for many years now.

I get it, you view the practice as acquiescing to the criminals and car owners should...do what, exactly? "Resist"? Make the criminals work harder by forcing them to break the windows to get in, rather than just opening the door? That'll go down well with the insurance company after a couple of window replacements. Do you live in a city center?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today marks day three since SWAT made a violent take down on an ACPS campus following a shooting that left one dead and one clinging to life and not a single word from our city.

Pathetic.

By guess it’s because the two people arrested are juveniles. Remember how the city and mayor handled the disclosure of the 15 yr old accused of rape at Minnie Howard and this just seems the same method. Keep completely silent, probably until a FOIA request is filed.

I agree that it's unacceptable. The news reports could still communicate, as far as is known (and there was video)
--who the 5 people involved were--intended carjack victim, 2 carjackers [?] shot, 2 other juveniles who were in the carjacking vehicle
--whether any charges are expected
--I have mixed feelings about reporting the identity of the intended victim/shooter.

I agree with PP that this crime--violent, in broad daylight, resulting in [apparently] carjackers coming into contact with schoolchildren--is worthy of some sort of police statement.

[Anonymous]

It is pretty wild that no information has been released.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty wild that no information has been released.

Weekend, something may come out Monday

[Anonymous]

Well maybe the area has been written off as a place where things like this just happen , and it’s no big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty wild that no information has been released.

Weekend, something may come out Monday

Not weekend shooting. Happened on Friday. I am sticking by my theory that all 4 suspects are juveniles and the MO in Alexandria is to keep all requests for information in a black hole. Not a single mention of any arrests despite all the witnesses and videos otherwise. Gas station was back up and running just hours later. All those kids went right back to school this morning. NBD (when it actually is). The public has the right to know.

[Anonymous]

Earlier in thread someone mentioned that the shooter (carjacking victim) was a female Baltimore cop.

Did she shoot at carjacker thru car door from outside? Where were the other 2 carjackers at this point (in the car?)

[Anonymous]

If the would-be carjacking victim really was an off-duty police officer, police tend to protect and shield each other in cases like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well maybe the area has been written off as a place where things like this just happen , and it’s no big deal.

DP. I looked this up on a map because I was curious and it's basically the edge of Del Ray, right? I don't live in that part of NOVA but had thought Del Ray was always portrayed as this desirable, funky yet old-fashioned neighborhood with a lot of younger families with kids moving there, or wanting to move there. Is that just not the case? I know the incident was along Richmond Highway but honestly, I'd expected when I saw that, it would be along the corridor farther south near Fort Belvoir.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the would-be carjacking victim really was an off-duty police officer, police tend to protect and shield each other in cases like this.

Aren't LE agencies required to publicly disclose all shootings, even if the officer is off duty?

You can't simply go mum each time a cop shoots someone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well maybe the area has been written off as a place where things like this just happen , and it’s no big deal.

DP. I looked this up on a map because I was curious and it's basically the edge of Del Ray, right? I don't live in that part of NOVA but had thought Del Ray was always portrayed as this desirable, funky yet old-fashioned neighborhood with a lot of younger families with kids moving there, or wanting to move there. Is that just not the case? I know the incident was along Richmond Highway but honestly, I'd expected when I saw that, it would be along the corridor farther south near Fort Belvoir.

The Exxon gas station is on Richmond Highway and strictly speaking is not "Del Ray". The area is also generally not "a place where thing like this just happen and it's no big deal". However apparently this has happened before at this gas station.

The other one that has been hit at least twice is the Liberty Station right before the on ramp to the Beltway. It's not Old Town. Certainly not if City Council and the Board of Architectural Review is asking.

Both probably say more about quick access to the Beltway and to disappear than propensity of crime than you'd "expect" further south in Fairfax County.

Hopefully dropping one (maybe two but unfortunately not three and four) will send a message. Three people in less than a month were robbed at gun point at the Pentagon City Mall because word got out, there are no consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well maybe the area has been written off as a place where things like this just happen , and it’s no big deal.

DP. I looked this up on a map because I was curious and it's basically the edge of Del Ray, right? I don't live in that part of NOVA but had thought Del Ray was always portrayed as this desirable, funky yet old-fashioned neighborhood with a lot of younger families with kids moving there, or wanting to move there. Is that just not the case? I know the incident was along Richmond Highway but honestly, I'd expected when I saw that, it would be along the corridor farther south near Fort Belvoir.

The Exxon gas station is on Richmond Highway and strictly speaking is not "Del Ray". The area is also generally not "a place where thing like this just happen and it's no big deal". However apparently this has happened before at this gas station.

The other one that has been hit at least twice is the Liberty Station right before the on ramp to the Beltway. It's not Old Town. Certainly not if City Council and the Board of Architectural Review is asking.

Both probably say more about quick access to the Beltway and to disappear than propensity of crime than you'd "expect" further south in Fairfax County.

Hopefully dropping one (maybe two but unfortunately not three and four) will send a message. Three people in less than a month were robbed at gun point at the Pentagon City Mall because word got out, there are no consequences.

You are wrong. I live here.

The Exxon is on Route 1 at the edge of Del Ray, right where they are building part of the Virgin Tech/Amazon buildings. They tore down a bunch of warehouses for that. Across the street on the other side Route 1 is the beginning of Potomac Yard.

Also the Liberty and that other gas station are in south Old Town. It is OT, so you can also stop with that. It’s right by Nannie J rec center, the ASA main offices, etc. There have been several car jacking at BOTH the Exxon in Del Ray (some armed) as well as several at the Liberty. If you were actually from Alexandria you’d know that in 2021 there was a pretty well known car jacking where the owner got hurt at the Liberty on Super Bowl Sunday that made the news. The car owner unfortunately had left her purse and phone in the car. The perps in that incident drove directly onto 495 across the bridge to the first exit with the gas station and McDonalds in National Harbor to buy gas and buy a bunch of stuff from the gas station store. It’s all on camera and based on that time stamp they were there in 5 minutes. Then I believe went back on the Beltway to the next exit where they went to Target and other retailers with her credit card to spend before the cards got shut off. Car was found a month later I think in DC, had accumulated tons of red light and speeding tickets. When this happened it was disclosed that there have been several car jacking there in the past.

Here are the types of crimes that happen a lot in Del Ray/Rosemont in the 15 years I’ve been living here: car jackings, cars being stolen, cars being broken into, homes being broken into, vandalism (hit and runs). If you want to throw in OT, then you can add gun crimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Killing someone is definitely traumatic, even if it was justified.

Why? I think that is true in some people but not others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually might judge the driver here. Not blaming her fir being a victim of a crime, but for instance if the carjackers we’re trying to steal the car while she was inside the gas station and she came out and shot them, I’m actually not happy with the driver for escalating that situation over insured personal property. There’s a school nearby, it’s the middle of the day— any time a gun is fired in a public place, there is danger of an innocent person being shot or traumatized.

If there was an altercation where the driver was directly involved and pulled the gun to protect herself, I feel differently.

But I’m not excited about the idea of people with concealed weapons (even if they are permitted) whipping out a gun to solve a problem where only their property is at risk. I don’t feel sorry for the carjackers, but a shooting like this is scary and I’d rather have a car stolen in my neighborhood than worry about getting caught in crossfire at my local gas station. If I have to pick.

Is that what happened? (Came out to find car being driven away?) I agree that would be totally different but I didn’t see that in the article I read.

PP here and to be clear, I don’t know. The article doesn’t say one way or another. I do know that this is how most carjackings at gas stations work because it’s easier. Why force a driver out if a car when you could just take it while they are inside? I used to live in California where carjackings were fairly common and we’d get public safety instructions about this— don’t leave car unattended at pump, never leave keys in car, if you need to go inside move car to parking space and lock as normal, etc. This is why gas stations where people often pre-pay inside are more prone to carjackings. If you pay at the pump and stay with your car, it’s less likely to happen.

But no, I don’t know the details of this case. Which is why I’m not ready to say “good for her” about the driver.

I am good for her/him. Property is one of the main reasons to shoot someone.

No, that's completely illegal. Common law let us protect our homes with lethal force because if someone is breaking into your home, they are more likely to hurt you. You can defend your life or the life another. You can't lawfully defend property by killing the thief.

It is not. If someone comes at you with a gun out aimed at you you can shoot them. Full stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was wondering, what happens to the victim/shooter? I’ve been to that gas station numerous times.

I hope the legend in his own mind who killed someone OVER A CAR goes to prison for a very, very, very long time.