Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.
The Alexandria Police Department swarmed an Old Town home Sunday after getting a prank call that a 15-year-old male was tired of his parents, was armed with his father’s AR-15 rifle and was going to kill them and himself.
Police received the emergency call from a private number at around 11:30 a.m., and a dispatcher reported that the voice making the call was panting, as if they were out of breath. The caller also allegedly told police that there were a total of four people in the home and that he would shoot any police that approached, according to APD dispatches.