At 3:47 p.m. Thursday, April 27, officers responded to a home in the 8500 block of Wild Spruce Drive, in Springfield. The housekeeper found Meskerem Belachew Solomon, 38, Amanuel Belachew Solomon, 31, and Tiku Berhane Gebreeyesus, 47, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to the upper body in the basement of the residence. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel declared all deceased at the scene. The family nanny and a child were inside the home and were found uninjured.
Preliminarily, detectives believe Tiku shot his wife, Meskerem, and her brother, Amanuel, before shooting himself. A firearm was recovered in the basement. Detectives continue to conduct interviews and review evidence to understand the circumstances that led to the shooting. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be completing autopsies to confirm the manner and cause of death.
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477)
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), is a credentialing authority. The CALEA Accreditation program seals are reserved for use by those public safety agencies that have demonstrated compliance with CALEA Standards and have been awarded CALEA Accreditation by the Commission. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) has been accredited with CALEA since 2016.
FCPD will undergo regular assessments with CALEA through policy and procedure review. Additionally, on-site assessments will be conducted every four years to ensure the department is in continued compliance with CALEA’s highest professional standards.
Public Comment Portal: Beginning in 2023, as a way to further the accreditation process’ objective of providing agencies with information that supports improvement and fosters professional excellence, CALEA updated their public comment mechanism from call-in sessions and public hearings to a web-based comment portal.
The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding an agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns.
CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. There will be no response other than to acknowledge submissions
If you would like to file a formal complaint, please visit here.
Complaints can be filed with the Fairfax County Police Civilian Review Panel https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policecivilianreviewpanel/ or the Independent Police Auditor.https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policeauditor/
The link to the CALEA portal can be found here: FCPD CALEA Public Comment Portal.
A 2006 Suzuki GSX-R 600 was traveling east on I-66 when it rear-ended a 2003 Honda Odyssey. The impact of the crash caused the motorcyclist to be ejected and thrown into the travel lane. Both the motorcyclist and the motorcycle were then struck by two additional vehicles. The motorcycle caught fire.
The motorcyclist, Jeffrey R. Armstrong, 29, of Sterling, Va., died at the scene. He was wearing a helmet.
No other drivers were injured. Speed is being investigated as a factor in the crash.