Virginia man killed, another hurt in drug deal gone wrong outside shopping center: police

CENTREVILLE, Va. (WJLA) — A man was killed and another was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after what police believe was a drug-related shootout at a shopping center in Virginia, authorities told WJLA.

Fairfax County police said two men they believe had met for a drug deal in a parking lot in Centreville wound up shooting at each other Wednesday around 9:30 a.m. The building is part of the Centre Lee Business Park, which is along Route 29 just off Interstate 66.

Police said 18-year-old Michael Alcantara, of Manassas, was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police found another man, later identified as 18-year-old Hassan Kanu, suffering from gunshot injuries.

Kanu was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, police said. He was also charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

As of Wednesday evening, he remained at the hospital, police said.

Police said they believe the only people who were hurt were the two men involved in the shootout. Based on the number of evidence markers police placed on the ground and two second-story windows that appeared to have been hit by bullets, it appeared quite a few shots were fired.

Residents and nearby employees said violent crimes, especially homicides, are rare in Centreville. Fairfax County police told WJLA it is the first homicide in Centreville since February 2022. Police said there have been six homicides in Fairfax County as a whole this year so far after 17 all of last year, which was down from 23 in 2022.

However, per police statistics, the number of drug crimes countywide went up somewhat significantly in 2023, with 2,807 drug crimes reported versus 1,861 in 2022. In the Sully District — which includes not just Centreville but also areas such as Chantilly in western Fairfax County –– the number of drug crimes fell from 178 in 2022 to 162 in 2023, according to police statistics.

The investigation is ongoing.