A woman showed up at Reston Hospital Center with a gunshot wound to her thigh, and within days a Sterling man who knew her was behind bars, denied bond, and facing a felony charge that carries the possibility of life in prison. Richard Fowler was arrested after the shooting, accused of shooting a woman he was personally acquainted with at a townhome in Sterling.
According to court documents described by LoudounNow, the woman had been at the townhome in the 21800 block of Broadleaf Square with Fowler before the shooting. She left and later returned to the residence, the filings state, but Fowler refused to let her back inside, according to a court filing. The woman knocked on the back door, and that is when she was shot through it, the filing says.
She later told Fairfax County police that she had been shot in Sterling, according to the court filings cited by the outlet. Fowler himself took the woman to the hospital, and he acknowledged to investigators that the victim had been shot at the townhouse and confirmed he had transported her there, according to a court filing.
Deputies Raid Sterling Home, Seize Bloodied Cash
Despite driving her for treatment, Fowler reportedly refused to go to the scene with detectives afterward. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office then executed a raid on Fowler's home in the 400 block of S. Lincoln Avenue in Sterling, according to the court filings.
Inside, deputies found shattered glass at the location, per a court filing. The sheriff's office also seized photos, bags containing the victim's belongings, and money with suspected blood on it, according to the filings described by the same report.
Aggravated Malicious Wounding Charge Carries Steep Penalty
Fowler was charged with aggravated malicious wounding, a serious felony under Virginia law. Under Virginia Code § 18.2-51.2, a person who maliciously shoots, stabs, cuts or wounds another with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or kill can face a Class 2 felony if the victim is severely injured and left with permanent and significant physical impairment.
A judge denied Fowler bond, meaning he will remain in custody as his case moves forward. He is expected to appear in court in November 2026, though the exact date has not been made public.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has not responded to a request for comment on the shooting, the outlet's report notes. Loudoun County has seen overall crime figures trend downward recently; a separate report found that crime dropped across the county in 2025, citing Virginia State Police data reported by the sheriff's office, though that broader trend is not tied to this case specifically.
