Gunfire burglaries and violent arrests rattle prince william county over several days
Police force department in full activity. Red light flasher of a patrol police car at sunday. Day patrolling of the city with lights flashers turned off. Security siren of the Canadian police vehicle.

Gunfire burglaries and violent arrests rattle Prince William County over several days

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1 min read
January 19, 2026

Woodbridge, Va. – A string of firearm incidents, burglaries, and violent encounters kept Prince William County police busy across multiple neighborhoods over several days, with officers responding to shootings, break-ins, and confrontations that led to several arrests.

In Woodbridge, officers responded Saturday evening to the 15000 block of Alabama Avenue after an unoccupied vehicle was found damaged by gunfire. Investigators determined the shots were fired sometime overnight. No injuries or additional property damage were reported. Police said officers had been in the same area earlier that morning investigating an assault between known parties and heard gunshots, but no suspect was located at that time.

Multiple commercial burglaries were also reported. Officers were called to a restaurant on Golansky Boulevard after two men entered the business through the roof during the early morning hours, stole several bottles of alcohol, and damaged a cash register before fleeing on foot. In a separate incident, a Sunoco gas station on Gideon Drive was burglarized after the front glass door was shattered, allowing a suspect to steal lottery tickets before escaping. A police K-9 searched the area but did not locate the suspect.

An attempted residential burglary occurred just after midnight at a home on Choctaw Ridge Court, where four men kicked in the front door before running away. No entry was made into the residence and no property was reported missing.

Several violent arrests were also made. On January 16, a Woodbridge man was taken into custody following a domestic incident that escalated into multiple vehicle pursuits, including one that continued onto Interstate 95 and into Maryland. Police said several law enforcement vehicles and civilian cars were damaged during the incident, and officers and a state trooper reported minor injuries. A 21-year-old woman found inside the vehicle was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries related to repeated assaults.

Early Sunday morning, officers arrested a Dumfries man after a dispute at a Woodbridge restaurant moved into a parking lot, where he allegedly brandished a firearm. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. In another incident, a Woodbridge man was arrested after police say he assaulted multiple officers while being taken into custody during a domestic dispute call.

Police also arrested a Woodbridge woman accused of exposing herself and assaulting an officer during a disturbance at a retail store in Gainesville earlier in the week. An officer reported minor injuries during that encounter.

Authorities said all charges are accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and they continue to ask the public to provide information related to these incidents.

A series of shootings, burglaries, and violent encounters across Prince William County led to multiple arrests and ongoing investigations.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

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