Man accused of shooting, killing dog near playground in Fairfax Co. apartment complex

Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, said a man is in custody after fatally shooting a dog in a Centreville apartment complex courtyard.

The shooting happened near a playground on Connor Drive just south of I-66 at about 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Lt. Dan Spital, of the Fairfax County police, said Friday afternoon that the shooting was the result of an altercation between two men who lived in the community, “both of whom had their own dogs with them.”

Spital said the altercation happened in the breezeway of a building in the complex, and that one man then shot the other’s dog.

The man whose dog was shot picked up the dog — a one-and-a-half-year-old lab mix, Spital said — and took it to a public area with a playground, not knowing that the shooter was following them.

The shooter then shot the dog again, Spital said, then retreated to a building in the complex with the gun. Witnesses directed police to the building; the man surrendered.

The dog was taken to a veterinarian but died, according to police.

Spital said the two men “have known each other in the past,” but investigators are still trying to figure out the extent of their history. He added that neither dog committed “any type of aggressive act.”

Police have not yet named the suspect; Spital said they would do that once charges have been filed. He said they’d be seeking three felony charges: animal cruelty, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm.

There was no school on Friday, but no children were at the playground, perhaps thanks to the rainy weather — which Spital called a lucky break.

“We’re fortunate no one else was hit by these bullets,” he said, adding that the incident created “a scary situation in this community.”

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