Police: Two shot dead in Falls church shopping plaza
Shooter, victim known to each other, police say
by Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20120717/NEWS/707179981/1064/police-two-shot-dead-in-falls-church-shopping-plaza&template=fairfaxTimes
City of Falls Church Police have determined the identities of a July 14 shooting victim and his suspected shooter, who they say then took his own life.
The shooting took place in the 6700 block of Wilson Boulevard in the Eden Center shopping complex.
On its website, the Eden Center states it is made up of 120 stores, restaurants and cafes, and calls itself ”the heart and soul of the Vietnamese-American community for the entire East Coast.”
Police said just before 10 p.m. July 14, Tai “Peter” Phan, 49, was shot after exiting his car, then fled on foot while injured. The shooter then chased Phan and shot him again, killing him, police said.
Within an hour, witnesses notified police of what was thought to be an injured man in a car in the shopping center’s parking lot, police said. Upon inspection, police said the man, The Vu, 39, appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Vu was declared deceased by paramedics.
Falls Church Police saidPhan and Vu were shot by the same caliber weapon, and currently are working to determine if the same gun was used in both shootings. Police said witness descriptions of the shooter match Vu, and police have established the two men knew each other.
Falls Church Police have not yet determined a motive. Police did not give any further details of the case.
Last summer, police conducted raids on several cafes in the Eden Center, confiscating illegal gambling video machines and charging two café owners with conducting an illegal gambling operation and money laundering. Café Metro was not one of the cafes raided.
At that time, Falls Church Police Chief Harry Reitze said the Eden Center had been affiliated with criminal and gang activity during the years, and that he enlisted the help of the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force in the raids.
Lt. Dan Hess, commander of the gang task force and a member of the Prince William County Police Department, said officials believed most of the alleged illegal activity at the Eden Center could be traced to an illegal street gang called the Dragon Family.