The children are staying with relatives while Fairfax County detectives investigate the domestic-related shooting that killed their parents.
CENTREVILLE, Va. — Young children were inside a Northern Virginia home when their parents were fatally shot Wednesday evening, but the children were not physically injured and are now being cared for by relatives as Fairfax County police investigate what happened.
The husband and wife, both in their 30s, were found dead after officers responded shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9 to the 6300 block of Sharps Drive in Centreville. Both had gunshot wounds to their upper bodies and were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have called the case a domestic-related shooting but have not said who fired the shots or what led to them.
The presence of the couple’s children became a central part of the police response. Authorities said the children were in the residence during the shooting and were unharmed. Relatives became involved in alerting police, although initial accounts varied on the precise sequence of the emergency call. The children were later placed in the care of extended family.
Fairfax County police said victim-services personnel were working with the family after the deaths. Authorities did not release the number or ages of the children, and officials have not disclosed additional details about what the children may have seen or heard. Police also have not publicly identified the husband or wife.
Detectives recovered a firearm from the home. Investigators said they preliminarily believed no other person was involved in the shooting and that everyone connected to the immediate incident was accounted for. Police said no suspect was believed to be outstanding and repeatedly told residents there was no continuing threat to the surrounding neighborhood.
Officers maintained a presence around the Centreville cul-de-sac Wednesday night as detectives processed evidence and investigated the family’s circumstances. Police said investigators were canvassing the area and examining information that could help establish the sequence of events inside the home.
The deaths unsettled neighbors who described the area to local reporters as quiet and centered on families. Residents expressed particular concern for the children and the effects of losing both parents. Police did not release further information about the children’s care beyond saying they were with family and receiving support.
Despite describing the shooting as domestic-related, authorities have not publicly assigned responsibility for either death. Police have not said whether detectives have reached a conclusion about who fired the recovered weapon, and no motive has been announced. Those unanswered questions remain part of the continuing investigation.
Fairfax County police have not announced a timetable for releasing the couple’s names or additional findings. Investigators continue working to establish what happened inside the Sharps Drive home while the children remain with extended family.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.