A little more than two hours after the deadly shooting, a 23-year-old man was taken into custody.
RESTON, Va. — A 23-year-old was taken into police custody in connection with a fatal shooting.
Officers were first called to the 12300 block of Fan Shell Court for a report of a shooting just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday. When officers arrived, they found a man shot dead inside the home. The victim has not yet been identified.
Fairfax 1 police helicopter, FCPD drone unit, K9s, and the Real Time Crime Center were all deployed to search for the shooter. Schools in the area were placed on “Secure the Building Status” while crews worked to find the shooter, delaying dismissal until officials cleared the area.
Just two hours later, police arrested Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, 23, into custody.
Morales-Ortez was charged with pointing a gun at someone back in September and was being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Until Tuesday, when he was released after the charges against him had been dropped.
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, prosecutors were unable to move forward with the previous case because the victim told police that they were out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings.
Court records also showed Morales-Ortez was charged with first-degree murder in Fairfax County Circuit Court in 2021. The charges were dismissed on May 26, 2021, after prosecutors entered a nolle prosequi disposition.
Following Morales-Ortez’s release on Tuesday, a Community Services Board clinician obtained an Emergency Custody Order (ECO) citing mental health concerns. When FCPD attempted to serve the ECO at his home, he wasn’t there.
Police have not said if Morales-Ortez and the man he allegedly shot today have any connection.