Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, said a woman is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot in a vehicle at a Hybla Valley shopping center with her infant child alongside her.
Officers found the victim around 3:49 p.m. Saturday afternoon, when they responded to reports of shots fired at the Mount Vernon Plaza parking lot, located the 7700 block of Richmond Highway in the Hybla Valley neighborhood near Alexandria.
The woman was suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body and administered first aid until rescue personnel arrived, according to a Fairfax County police news release.
At present, the victim remains unnamed.
The victim’s infant child and another passenger identified by officials as Kayla Thornton, 28, of Woodbridge, were also inside the vehicle. Both were unharmed.
Police said detectives determined that the shooter was Montez Damone-Faggins, 29, of Front Royal, who was also in the car when he shot the victim.
Damone-Faggins was taken into custody and charged with malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is currently being held on no bond.
All the parties knew one another and remained on the scene when authorities arrived. The gun used in the shooting was found inside the vehicle, according to police.
Police said the victim’s infant child was “reunited with another family member.”
The other passenger, Thornton, was taken into custody for outstanding, unrelated warrants from another jurisdiction. She is being held on secured bond, according to police.
No motive has been released regarding the shooting. Fairfax County police ask anyone with information about the shooting to contact them at 703-246-7800.
Approximate location of shooting:
