On a Wednesday evening in Bladensburg, Maryland, the lives of two young men were cut short in a burst of violence. Twenty-four-year-old Varney Batener Jr. and 23-year-old Jonathan Contreras were found outside on the 5000 block of 57th Avenue, both suffering from gunshot wounds. The tragic events unfolded on January 30, 2019, when officers from both the Town of Bladensburg and the Prince George's County Police Department were called to the scene around 5:05 pm.
Emergency responders
quickly arrived and transported both Batener and Contreras to a nearby hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, neither man survived their injuries, and both were pronounced dead a short time later. The initial phase of the investigation left detectives working to piece together the motive and identify any potential suspects involved in the double homicide.
After a thorough investigation, the Prince George's County Police Homicide Unit concluded that the tragic incident was the result of a confrontation between the two men. Detectives determined that Batener and Contreras had arranged to meet for an illegal drug transaction. During this meeting, an argument erupted, escalating to a point where both men drew firearms and shot one another inside a car. With this finding, the investigation into the double fatal shooting was concluded, as both individuals involved were deceased.
