Officers recovered a firearm and ended a two-hour search in nearby woods, authorities said.
RESTON, VA — A 23-year-old man was taken into custody Wednesday after a man was shot and killed inside a home on the 12300 block of Fan Shell Court, prompting an intense search through a Reston neighborhood and temporary lockdowns at nearby schools, Fairfax County police said.
Authorities said the arrest capped a fast-moving response that began with multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire just before 1 p.m. Investigators believe the suspect and the victim knew each other and that the shooting happened inside the residence. Police identified the suspect as Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortiz and said he was found in a wooded area not far from the home. Detectives recovered a gun believed to have been used in the killing. The victim’s name was not immediately released pending notification of relatives, and a motive remains under investigation.
Officers and tactical teams swarmed the south Reston community shortly after the first call, shutting down streets and canvassing yards and townhouse clusters as a police helicopter circled overhead. K-9 units followed scent trails through courtyards and a cul-de-sac while detectives knocked on doors seeking security video. Police Chief Kevin Davis told reporters the shooter fled on a bicycle before abandoning it a short distance away. “We needed to put handcuffs on a person who just shot and killed another human being inside a home in this residential community,” Davis said. Moments after the briefing, officers converged on a thicket near Laurel Glade Court and escorted a handcuffed man from the woods. The recovered handgun was secured as evidence at the scene, police said.
Investigators said initial calls placed the shooting inside a two-story home in the Cocquina Cluster, near the Dulles Access Road and Fairfax County Parkway. Patrol units arrived within minutes to find an adult male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. As the perimeter expanded, officers released a still image of a man in dark clothing walking near the house, a photo neighbors shared from a home camera. Chief Davis said that image helped investigators confirm the suspect’s identity. Police said classes continued under “secure the building” status at Dogwood Elementary School and Hunter Woods Elementary School during the search; doors remained locked and dismissal was delayed until officers declared the area safe.
Court records reviewed by police indicate Morales-Ortiz had been in court Tuesday on felony malicious wounding and related charges stemming from a prior case. Prosecutors dropped those charges after a key witness was unavailable, and he was released from custody that day, according to officials. Police said a clinician later obtained an emergency custody order intended to bring Morales-Ortiz in for evaluation, but officers were unable to locate him before the order expired. Authorities emphasized that Wednesday’s homicide remains a separate investigation; whether any earlier incidents are connected is unknown. Detectives continued canvassing for additional surveillance video Wednesday evening and were processing the bicycle and recovered firearm for fingerprints and DNA.
Residents described chaotic scenes as cruisers blocked intersections and a helicopter hovered overhead. “All my years of living here, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said neighbor Jordan Becker, who watched officers lead a handcuffed man from the brush. Another resident said officers asked for access to doorbell-camera footage and checked backyards along the wooded trail behind the cluster. Outside Dogwood Elementary, parents waited while dismissal was paused. “They told us the building was secure and the kids were safe, so we stayed back and let them do their job,” said Sandra Rivera, who lives a few blocks away.
Police said Morales-Ortiz was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Murder charges are pending, and an arraignment is expected Thursday or Friday in Fairfax County General District Court. Detectives planned to remain on scene overnight to execute search warrants and conduct a detailed evidence sweep inside the home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death. Investigators asked anyone with camera footage from midday Wednesday within a mile radius of Fan Shell Court to share it with detectives as they reconstruct the timeline.
Wednesday night, crime scene tape still ringed the townhouse where the shooting occurred while officers photographed the entryway and marked shell casings. The bicycle believed to have been used in the suspect’s escape was loaded into an evidence van. A light police presence remained at nearby intersections as neighbors returned from work. The victim’s identity and relationship to the suspect were still unconfirmed publicly. Police said updates on charges and the victim’s name would be released after next of kin notifications and initial court appearances.
Author note: Last updated December 17, 2025.