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Updated at 11:42 a.m. with information from an Alexandria Police Department news release.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A woman who had been shot inside an apartment and a male suspect who was later shot by police are both dead following an early morning incident at 27 Canterbury Square, the Alexandria Police Department said.
Two officers responded to the apartment complex at approximately 4:05 a.m. Monday for a report of a woman being shot, the department said in a news release issued at 11:42 a.m.
Upon arrival, officers safely removed all persons from the residence except for the subject and the victim, according to the release. Inside the apartment, officers encountered an adult male suspect who had barricaded himself in a room where they believed the female victim was located.
After the suspect refused officers' commands, he charged at them, the department said. Two officers discharged their service weapons during the encounter.
Officers rendered life-saving measures to both the suspect and the victim, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death.
The officers involved are on administrative leave, consistent with department policy. They have a combined seven and a half years of service with the Alexandria Police Department.
In an earlier briefing Monday morning, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said officers encountered family members at the doorway and removed them before encountering the suspect down a hallway. McGuire said it was not yet clear whether the suspect was armed or had fired shots while officers were present.
"The suspect then emerged running full speed at officers, charging at them," McGuire said during the roughly four-minute briefing.
The Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT, is conducting an investigation into the incident pursuant to department policy. The team was established by Northern Virginia jurisdictions in 2021 to investigate critical incidents involving law enforcement officers, the department said. Upon completion of its investigation, CIRT may present evidence to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or other appropriate prosecutorial authority for review.
The Alexandria Police Department's Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a separate administrative inquiry, which will be monitored by the Office of the Alexandria Independent Policing Auditor. That office will also coordinate the review of the investigation with the Independent Police Review Board.
McGuire said body-worn camera footage will be released within a reasonable time period as additional facts are gathered.
The department first reported a "critical incident" at the location in a Facebook post at 5:26 a.m. and confirmed the officer-involved shooting in an update at 6:22 a.m., saying there was no ongoing threat to the community.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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