Man, 88, is accused of shooting dead his 87-year-old wife in front of their daughter inside Virginia home
The suspect now faces a second-degree murder charge
An 87-year-old Virginia woman was shot dead — and police believe her 88-year-old husband is responsible.
The unnamed daughter of Marilyn Sommer, 87, reported to Fairfax County police just after 6 a.m. Friday that her father had shot her mother at their home on the 13000 block of Pennypacker Lane in Chantilly, just 40 minutes outside of Washington, D.C. The octogenarian was suffering trauma to the upper body; she was declared dead at the scene, police said.
Detectives placed her husband, Douglas Sommer, 88, into custody. He is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
He is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
The circumstances leading up to the tragedy are not immediately clear. A motive has not been released.
At a news conference, officers said they believe there is no threat to public safety. Police described the shooting as “domestic-related.”
Authorities are investigating what led to the fatal shooting, including conducting interviews and processing evidence recovered from the scene. Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2.
Homicide victims over the age of 75 make up only 1 to 2 percent of the total nationwide, the Washington Post reported.