On a tragic afternoon in Chantilly, Virginia, a violent chain of events led to the death of 40-year-old Caucasian female, Detective Vicky Anne Owen Armel. The day was May 8, 2006, when a troubled 18-year-old named Michael Kennedy embarked on a deadly rampage that would end at the Sully District Police Station.
The incident began when Kennedy, armed with multiple firearms including an AK-47 style rifle, first attempted a carjacking before successfully stealing a van.
He then drove the stolen vehicle to the parking lot of the police station on Stonecroft Boulevard. Upon exiting the van, Kennedy immediately opened fire on the officers present. Master Police Officer Michael Garbarino was sitting in his cruiser when he was struck multiple times by gunfire.
Detective Armel, who was in the parking lot preparing to respond to the initial carjacking report, engaged the suspect in a gun battle. During the exchange of fire, she was mortally wounded. Several other officers responded to the chaotic scene and exchanged gunfire with Kennedy, ultimately killing him at the scene. In addition to the rifle, the suspect was found to be armed with another rifle and five handguns.
Detective Armel was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. Officer Garbarino tragically succumbed to his wounds nine days later. The investigation revealed that the shooter, Michael Kennedy, had been arrested by Fairfax County police just two weeks prior for a carjacking in another county and had also recently escaped from a psychiatric facility. As the sole suspect was killed at the scene, there were no arrests or subsequent trials in this case. The incident was described as the act of a "lone, troubled individual" and not part of a larger conspiracy.
