On the evening of New Year's Eve, a sense of tragedy befell a Lorton, Virginia community. Nahom Beyene, a 42-year-old male, was found shot in the doorway of a residence on Unity Lane. The call came in to law enforcement at approximately 7:32 p.m., and upon their arrival, officers discovered Beyene with trauma to his upper body. Despite the efforts of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The investigation into the death of Nahom Beyene quickly became a homicide case. Detectives from the Major Crimes, Cyber and Forensics Bureau began the arduous process of interviewing individuals and gathering evidence, including residential surveillance footage from the neighborhood. This footage proved crucial, as it showed several people in the vicinity both before and after the fatal shooting. The investigation revealed that this was not a random act of violence; Beyene and the individual responsible for his death were known to one another.
A significant development in the case came when a 23-year-old man from Woodbridge, Robert William Peters Jr., turned himself into detectives. Following his surrender, Peters was taken to the Adult Detention Center. Warrants were obtained for his arrest, and he was charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was subsequently held without bond. While an arrest has been made, the firearm used in the incident had not been recovered at the time of the reports. The authorities have assured the public that victim specialists have been assigned to assist Beyene's family.
