In a tragic and unforeseen turn of events, 74-year-old Francis Drew, a White / Caucasian male, became an innocent victim in a violent rampage that began in Manassas, Virginia, on January 6, 2021. Drew, a resident of Markham, Virginia, was simply driving in the Delaplane area of Fauquier County when his path tragically crossed with that of a fleeing gunman. The Fauquier County Sheriff's Office would later confirm that Drew had no connection to his killer and was a random victim of the senseless violence that unfolded that day.
The perpetrator was identified as 21-year-old Asa Ellington Mitchell of Manassas. Earlier that day, Mitchell had turned a gun on his own family at their home on Ellis Road. His father, 55-year-old Eric Mark Mitchell, was found deceased at the scene. Mitchell also shot and seriously wounded his grandmother, mother, and teenage brother. Following the domestic shooting, Mitchell fled the residence in a vehicle, which led to the fatal encounter with Francis Drew in Fauquier County.
After shooting and killing Drew, Mitchell continued his flight. His escape came to an end when he crashed his vehicle. As law enforcement closed in, Asa Ellington Mitchell took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Due to the death of the sole suspect, no arrests were made in connection with the death of Francis Drew, and the case did not proceed to prosecution. The community was left to mourn the loss of an innocent man whose life was cut short in a sudden and brutal act of violence.
