Fairfax County

3 People Found Dead in Home in Springfield, Virginia; Toddler Found Alive

A 2-year-old child was found alive and unharmed inside the house

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Three people were found dead Thursday afternoon inside a home in Springfield, Virginia, where a 2-year-old child was found unharmed.

Fairfax County police are calling it a death investigation. A firearm was found at the scene in the 8500 block of Wild Spruce Drive.

A housekeeper called 911 about 3:45 p.m. and said she found the bodies of a woman in her 30s and her brother -- a man in his 20s who had just arrived for a visit -- in the basement.

“I see the people in the sofa,” the housekeeper, Consuelo Martinez, told Telemundo 44.

When police arrived, they found the body of a man in his 40s also in the basement.

The man in his 40s had a single gunshot wound. The other two had multiple gunshot wounds.

Police are calling it a domestic-related incident. They are investigating whether it was a double murder and suicide.

“Right now, we’re working diligently to identify all three involved, but there are also three juveniles and a nanny that live at the home, and they’re all safe and all accounted for,” Fairfax County police Lt. Col. Eli Cory said. “Right now, we have not been able to find any signs of forced entry to the home, and our detectives … are working diligently to piece together what occurred today.”

The older children are believed to have been at school. The toddler was in the care of the nanny.

Neighbors who gathered outside, sharing hugs, said the family moved in a little over a year ago.

The family is Ethiopian, and family, friends and members of the area’s Ethiopian community arrived within minutes of hearing of the horror that took place.

Martinez said she’s worked for the couple for three years and was close to the family. 

“She and her husband, they are good,” she said. “I don’t what happened.”

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.

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