Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
A homeowner in Woodbridge shot and killed an armed man as he came toward the front door of her home, according to authorities.
Prince William County police said the incident unfolded at 12:25 a.m. Thursday in the 4100 block of Hoffman Drive just off the Prince William Parkway. The homeowner, a 44-year-old woman, said she was leaving her home when she saw a stranger, who was wearing a mask and armed with a handgun, coming toward her from the side of her house.
The woman, who police said was also armed with a gun, shot the man as he came toward the front door. When officers arrived, they found the man had a loaded handgun. He was taken to a hospital where he later died, police said. The woman was not hurt.
The Prince William County Police Department said in a statement that detectives are trying to determine “why the man was at the residence.” It said the “incident does not appear to be random.”
The case remains under investigation.
“After consultation with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, the shooting was ruled to be justified based on self-defense and therefore no charges will be placed against the victim,” the police statement said.
Police later identified the armed man as Azhar Laurent Smart, 20, of Triangle, Va.