Gunfire Rips Through The Night; Man Shot at Taco Bell
The sound of gunfire ripped through the normally tranquil Falls Church City darkness early this morning, awakening residents and leading to the temporary closure of the Taco Bell at 935 W. Broad Street.
The gunfire, which took place about 4:30 am, more than two hours after the restaurant had closed, sent a man identified only as Hispanic to Fairfax Hospital. His condition was unknown, but officials said he was in surgery.
No other details were immediately available. But as many as 10 marked and unmarked police cars were at the scene, and an officer with an exceptionally long gun was seen patrolling the parking lot. The suspect remains at large, and police used a helicopter during the night to aid in the search.
The rare nature of such an incident in the City brought shocks from drivers asking a reporter what happened, as well as interest from area news crews, which used the parking lot of the still vacant building across the street at 1001 W. Broad for interviews and live reports.
Police had no information about what led to the shooting — if it was a personal dispute, drug-related, or even a carjacking. But the circumstances at the scene were odd.
That scene showed a Mercedes, presumably the victim’s car, with the engine still running and the driver’s door open. The car was in front of the restaurant, facing towards Broad.
Numerous items were spread throughout the parking lot, including what appeared to be a jacket, as well as some miscellaneous litter. Detectives had placed numbers next to each item on the ground as part of their investigation.
A key question that remains unanswered is why the Mercedes was in the parking lot at 4:30 am. The Taco Bell closes at 2 am on Saturday mornings, so it seems unlikely to be a customer or an employee.
It’s possible it was drug deal that turned into a robbery. There has been drug dealing and multiple suspicious vehicles in the area in recent months, and City police have arrested several suspects on drug charges within several blocks of this location, including on West, Ellison, and Grove streets.
This is the first shooting incident in the City since a September homicide at the Eden Center on Wilson Boulevard.
What appears to be a shooting victim’s car at Taco Bell, 935 W. Broad Street. Police have placed numbers next to items near the car, including a jacket.
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