Suspect in Germantown fatal shooting kills self

A blurred police car in the background behind yellow crime scene tape.(Getty Images/iStockphoto/aijohn784)

WASHINGTON — Police say that a suspect in the fatal shooting Tuesday in Germantown, Maryland, has died.

Montgomery County police said that just after 7 p.m., in the area of Great Seneca Highway and Mateny Road, they were attempting to arrest a suspect in the killing of 20-year-old Stephen Alexander Frazier.

The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Valentino Pritchett, shot himself inside a vehicle.

Police said that Pritchett was traveling in a car, and as they approached it in an attempt to arrest him, he shot himself. He was declared dead at the scene.

Pritchett was wanted for attempted murder in connection with a previous incident, a news release said.

Montgomery County police responded to reports of a shooting on the 12900 block of Churchill Ridge Circle in Germantown around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Officers found Frazier suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

Frazier was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing.

WTOP’s Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.

Alejandro Alvarez

Alejandro Alvarez joined WTOP as a digital journalist and editor in June 2018. He is a reporter and photographer focusing on politics, political activism and international affairs.

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