In the winter of 2016, the community of Falls Church, Virginia, was shaken by the untimely death of Babatunde Fadahunsi, a 35-year-old man of Nigerian descent. On the afternoon of Tuesday, February 23rd, Fadahunsi was discovered deceased in his apartment at the Skyline Towers complex. An employee of the apartment building made the grim discovery at approximately 2:39 p.m. and immediately alerted the authorities.
Upon their arrival, Fairfax County police found Fadahunsi with a fatal gunshot wound to his chest. Fadahunsi, who was known to work as a security guard, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators noted that there had been no reports of gunshots in the building on the day of the incident, and while they did not believe the act was random, they did not initially release any information about a potential suspect.
The investigation into the homicide of Babatunde Fadahunsi continued for several months. Law enforcement officials from the Fairfax County Police Department's Major Crimes Division and Homicide Section diligently worked the case, seeking assistance from the public to identify individuals who appeared in surveillance footage related to the incident. Their efforts, in collaboration with federal partners including the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, eventually led to a breakthrough.
On June 10, 2016, authorities announced an arrest in connection with Fadahunsi's death. Bernardo Eugene Ford, Jr., a 25-year-old resident of Woodbridge, was taken into custody. He was federally charged with the Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence Causing Death. Following his arrest, Ford remained in custody, bringing a measure of resolution to a case that had concerned the Falls Church community. The diligent work of multiple law enforcement agencies ensured that a suspect was held accountable for the violent end to Babatunde Fadahunsi's life.
