A shooting tore through the middle of Old Town Manassas's monthly First Friday street festival Friday night, sending panicked festivalgoers running for their cars as police scrambled to secure the scene. The Manassas City Police Department confirmed a shooting had taken place, according to its own statement; later reporting said a 16-year-old girl was killed and a 21-year-old man was hospitalized in serious but non-life-threatening condition. Police asked the community to stay away from the area while officers investigated.
According to WJLA, police asked residents to follow directions from first responders and said additional information would be released as it becomes available and when appropriate. The department also designated the farmers market lot at 9024 Prince William Street as a gathering point for people searching for family members separated in the chaos, and thanked the public for its patience and cooperation as the investigation continued.
The shooting struck at the heart of one of Manassas's biggest recurring community events. As reported by Potomac Local News, the gunfire coincided with First Friday, a monthly street festival held from February through November that regularly draws large crowds to downtown Manassas. Police scanner traffic placed the shooting around 9:34 p.m. near 9451 West Street, close to the Manassas Train Station, where witnesses described hearing multiple gunshots and watching festivalgoers scatter toward their vehicles.
How First Friday Turns Downtown Into a Pedestrian Zone
First Friday celebrations typically involve closing downtown streets, including West, Battle, Center and Main Streets, to vehicle traffic from 4:45 p.m. to 11 p.m. to create a walkable Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, per event guidelines published by the City of Manassas Tourism office. That setup meant some downtown streets were closed when gunfire broke out.
The scale of the emergency response underscored the severity of the situation. The same Potomac Local News report notes that emergency services established a media staging post at a Truist Bank branch on Church Street and designated Osbourn High School as an emergency helicopter landing zone, where at least one patient was airlifted from the scene.
A Second Public Safety Scare in Old Town Within a Year
This is not the first time a downtown Manassas celebration has been marred by an unexpected public safety breach. FOX 5 DC reported that a suspected drunk driver plowed through Old Town Manassas during the city's annual Santa Lights tree lighting event in December 2025, striking multiple police cruisers that had been deployed to protect crowd boundaries.
The incident also lands against a backdrop of crime statistics citywide. Manassas City Police Chief Douglas W. Keen presented the department's 2025 annual report in March. The Manassas City Police Department also has a Patrol Services Division. The department serves Manassas.
What Charges Could Follow
What Charges Could Follow Potential charges would depend on the facts and applicable law.
No suspect information had been released as of the police department's latest statement. Later Potomac Local reporting said a 16-year-old girl was killed and a 21-year-old man was hospitalized in serious but non-life-threatening condition. This follows a July incident on Folksie Court that Hoodline covered in a report on that shooting, where one victim was wounded and a suspect was detained. Manassas City Police Department said it would release additional information as it becomes available and when appropriate, and continued to ask the community to stay away from the scene as the investigation unfolds.
