Fairfax County police are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for killing a 21-year-old Alexandria man in what investigators believe was not a random act of violence, according to WJLA.
Jaylin Hartless, 21, of Alexandria, was found fatally shot in the early morning hours of Friday in the Woodlawn area of Fairfax County. Officers responded to the 3400 block of Buckman Road around 4:45 a.m. for reports of vehicle tampering and discovered Hartless on the ground beside his vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body.
Scanner traffic indicated a car was spotted being broken into in the residential neighborhood, according to FFXnow.
Officers attempted CPR before fire and rescue personnel declared him deceased on scene, according to a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Major Crimes Bureau.
Detectives are actively investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting. Preliminarily, this does not appear to be a random act, police said. However, the full scope of what occurred remains unclear as the investigation continues.
When asked whether the shooting stemmed from a car break-in, police officials said there was “definitely evidence of some sort of disturbance,” but added that investigators are still determining how that evidence connects to the crime, according to WJLA. “The crime scene does encompass a larger area,” the spokesperson said. “We’re not prepared to classify it as a car break-in that turned wrong. We’re not quite sure.”
The shooting marks another violent incident along Buckman Road, an area that has seen previous crime-related activity. Victim specialists from the police department’s Major Crimes Bureau have been assigned to ensure that Hartless’s family is receiving appropriate resources and assistance.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), online at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or by downloading the “P3 Tips” app. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of up to $5,000.
The victim’s family has established a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses. As of Monday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised $6,777 toward its $12,000 goal.
