A third employee survived the attack, while a statewide search ended hours later along Interstate 81 in Augusta County.
MANASSAS, Va. — Two employees were killed and a third was wounded in a shooting at a United Rentals facility in Manassas before the suspected gunman fled and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a confrontation with Virginia State Police, authorities said.
Manassas police identified the suspected shooter as Marvin Grant, 37, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who also worked at United Rentals. Police said the shooting occurred shortly after 7 a.m. Sept. 30 at the company’s facility at 9415 Wellington Road. Investigators said an altercation preceded the gunfire, but authorities have not determined what caused the dispute or established a motive for the attack.
Police identified the employees who died as Ricky Lamot, 48, and Christopher Serrano, 33. Both were taken to a hospital after officers arrived at the business and found three wounded workers. The third employee, whose name was not released, was hospitalized in stable condition and was expected to survive, Police Chief Douglas Keen said.
Investigators said Grant had arrived at work and made a statement to a coworker indicating that three people were going to die. Keen said Grant then produced a handgun and shot the three employees. Authorities described the attack as workplace violence but said the investigation had not established why Grant targeted the men. Police were reviewing evidence from the business as they worked to reconstruct what happened before the shooting.
The shooting triggered a large police response in Manassas. Officers from the city police department and the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office reached the business within minutes of the initial call and provided emergency aid. Grant had left before officers arrived, according to police. Authorities began searching for him and used information from his cellphone to track his movement away from Northern Virginia.
The search soon extended more than 100 miles from the shooting scene. Virginia State Police were notified that Grant could be traveling through the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area. A trooper later spotted his vehicle traveling south on Interstate 81 in Augusta County. Police said Grant pulled into a rest area near mile marker 232, where troopers attempted to stop him.
Grant briefly got out of the vehicle before returning to it and continuing south, prompting a pursuit, state police said. He eventually stopped near mile marker 227 and got out while holding a firearm. A tactical team and negotiator responded as police worked to resolve the encounter without further violence. Authorities said Grant later suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound and died. State police said troopers did not fire their weapons.
The events temporarily disrupted both communities along the path of the investigation. During the initial search in Manassas, authorities restricted access to roads around the business and nearby schools took precautions. Jennie Dean Elementary School students were redirected to Metz Middle School as police searched for Grant. Farther south, the Interstate 81 response led to lane closures and traffic backups while state police handled the standoff.
Keen said the deaths carried a personal impact for the community. He said he knew Lamot through youth football and described him as dedicated to coaching. The chief said the loss was especially difficult because Lamot was a father. Community members also remembered Serrano as a father as relatives and friends began mourning both men in the days after the shooting.
Authorities have said the surviving employee is expected to recover, but the central question of what led to the attack remains unresolved. Manassas police continued investigating the workplace shooting, while Virginia State Police reviewed the Interstate 81 pursuit and standoff. No additional threat to the public was reported after Grant’s death.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.