The department said the shooting began as a domestic call involving a woman shot inside an apartment.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria police opened multiple reviews Monday after two officers shot and killed a man accused of fatally shooting a woman during an early morning standoff inside a Canterbury Square apartment, officials said.
The shooting happened after officers were called around 4 a.m. to 27 Canterbury Square for a report of a wounded woman. Police said the first officers on scene encountered relatives near the doorway, removed them from danger and then focused on a barricaded man believed to be in the same room as the victim.
Chief Tarrick McGuire said officers stayed near the apartment doorway and repeatedly ordered the man to comply. The suspect refused, then came out of the room and ran toward officers, McGuire said during a briefing. “The suspect then emerged, running full speed at the officers, charging at them,” McGuire said. Police said two officers fired their weapons, striking the man. Officers then began life-saving measures.
Inside the apartment, officers found a woman who had been shot multiple times, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The male suspect also died after officers tried to save him. Police did not immediately identify the woman, the suspect or the officers involved. Officials said investigators were still working to confirm the relationship between the two people who died, though the case was believed to involve family members.
Police said the incident did not spread beyond the apartment and there was no ongoing threat to the neighborhood. Investigators had not said whether the man had a gun in his hand when officers fired. That question, along with the sequence of commands, officer positions and evidence found inside the apartment, is expected to be part of the formal review.
The two officers involved were placed on administrative leave, a standard step after a police shooting. Police said both have served with the department for roughly seven to eight years. The department’s internal affairs unit will review whether their actions followed policy. A separate independent oversight body appointed by Alexandria’s mayor and City Council will also examine the incident.
The investigation was still active Monday as detectives processed the apartment, reviewed officer accounts and worked to notify relatives. Police said more information would be released as the case develops.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.