A gunman fired a shot into the air during a dispute Friday night, September 11, just steps from Arlington County’s own police headquarters, then took off running before officers could catch him. The shooting happened shortly before 11 p.m. near 15th Street North and North Courthouse Road, according to Arlington police, and no one was injured.
The gunfire erupted after a verbal dispute escalated near the Courthouse Metro station, as reported by ARLnow. Police described the suspect as a man wearing a black shirt and camouflage shorts who ran from the scene immediately after firing the weapon, according to WJLA. Officers remained on scene investigating in the hours after the shooting, and the Arlington County Police Department is advising residents to expect a continued police presence in the area.
A Shooting Steps From Police Headquarters
What makes the location notable is its proximity to the very agency now investigating it. The intersection is near Arlington County Police Department headquarters.
No injuries or property damage were reported, and ARLnow reported that the gun was fired into the air during the confrontation. Still, the suspect had not been located as of the latest reporting, and the case remains under investigation.
Potential Charges Under Virginia Law
Potential charges would depend on the circumstances and applicable Virginia law.
This is not the first time gunfire has rattled the Courthouse neighborhood. Arlington police previously responded to a shots-fired call at 13th Street North and North Taft Street, near the Taft Towers condo complex, where the suspect also fled before officers arrived, per prior reporting from ARLnow. The area has seen other public safety incidents, including an officer-involved shooting at Rosslyn Metro Station after a Tuesday-evening call at a nearby grocery store on Wilson Boulevard, according to WUSA9.
Crime Trends and a Busy Transit Hub
The shooting also draws attention to public safety in Arlington County. The supplied reporting does not establish broader crime trends, firearm-recovery totals, or police salary changes.
The Courthouse Metro station itself is a steady presence in the neighborhood and serves WMATA’s Orange and Silver lines. Its 2025 average weekday ridership was not established in the supplied reporting. It remains unclear whether surveillance cameras near Courthouse Plaza or the Metro station captured the suspect’s getaway route, whether investigators recovered shell casings at the scene, or whether police plan to step up patrols around the corridor in the shooting’s aftermath.
