Woman Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Man in Fairfax County: Police

A woman suspected of fatally shooting a man in Fairfax County, Virginia, Thursday night was arrested Friday more than 100 miles away in Harrisonburg, authorities said.

The victim and the woman were arguing about 8:15 p.m. when she pulled out a gun and shot him, Fairfax County police said. The shooting occurred on Willow Crescent Drive in Oakton, near Interstate 66.

“This is a tragic and brazen case that began with an argument in a parking lot followed by a single gunshot,” Fairfax County police Maj. Edward O’Carroll said.

The woman allegedly took off running into a wooded area with a suitcase, which was later found along with a purse and shoes, police said. A handgun with an extended magazine also was recovered in the woods.

“Those alert officers found a firearm with an extended magazine, which we believe is directly related to the shooting,” O’Carroll said.

The shooting was caught on surveillance camera.

The victim, 39-year-old Johnny Lee Robinson of Leesburg, was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police say Robinson and the suspect, 23-year-old Kaitlynn Nicholas, knew each other.

Police searched through the night for the woman, using dogs and a helicopter, and continued the search Friday.

Witnesses were able to identify the suspect and the victim, police said.

U.S. marshals and Fairfax and Harrisonburg police tracked Nicholas down in her hometown of Harrisonburg and arrested her without incident about 12:15 p.m., police said.

"Based on preliminary information, we do believe she took some sort of rideshare, again with this only being 19 hours in and her having been arrested just a couple hours ago, we have detectives down in Harrisonburg now,” Fairfax County police Lt. Erin Weeks said. “We will eventually get to that and nail that down."

Nicholas is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. She is in the Rockingham County jail awaiting extradition to Fairfax County.