Some Columbia Pike community members are planning a vigil tonight (Wednesday) for a man police fatally shot during a standoff last Friday.
The death of Shawn Valn, 33, remains under investigation by the Northern Virginia Critical Incident Response Team and no new information from the Arlington County Police Department is publicly available right now, police spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow.
Residents have described Valn, who was homeless, as a well-known figure around Columbia Pike, identifiable by the reflective vest and pants that he typically wore as he sat on benches along Lincoln Street and slept in the parking lot across from the Gilliam Place apartment building.
Arlington Presbyterian Church, which is located inside Gilliam Place, will help host the vigil honoring Valn’s life beginning at 7:45 p.m. today at 918 S. Lincoln Street.
On social media during last week’s incident — in which Valn reportedly “approached and verbally threatened” a female victim entering a 7-Eleven, then brandished a knife and barricaded himself in a back room of the store when police arrived with warrants for his arrest — ACPD identified Valn as a “wanted suspect.”
Savage said she was unable to provide more information on any criminal history, citing Virginia law. He was described as wanted due to the alleged threats earlier that evening.
“On May 8, officers obtained warrants for the suspect for Assault and Obstruction of Justice related to the call for service,” Savage said. “The suspect had barricaded himself in the store and officers were attempting to take him into custody on those warrants.”
The Rev. Ashley Goff, pastor of Arlington Presbyterian Church, said that residents at a food distribution on Monday decided they wanted to hold a vigil.
“Many Gilliam Place residents saw and heard what happened,” Goff wrote in an email to community members. “They have questions that don’t yet have answers, some are feeling unsafe, and at the same time, many have a lot of grief and empathy for Shawn.”
Police were originally dispatched to the 7-Eleven at 3602 Columbia Pike for a report of disorderly conduct around 6:19 p.m. on Friday.
“Responding officers made contact with the suspect outside the 7-11 store, he produced a knife, ignored officer commands and entered the store,” ACPD said in a press release immediately after the incident. “Officers established a perimeter and assisted patrons and employees with safely exiting the store.”
According to police, Valn retreated into the store’s back room and refused to come out.
“Over several hours, officers and negotiators attempted to safely resolve the incident and take the suspect into custody on the outstanding warrants,” ACPD said. “Around 9 p.m., officers breached the door of the back room to take the suspect into custody. The suspect displayed a knife and two officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.”
Around ten gunshots can be heard in video from the scene, posted by one of the numerous onlookers who gathered across the street to watch the standoff that blocked Columbia Pike for hours. Valn was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
In social media posts following the incident, some community members have shared memories of Valn and questioned whether police could have taken him into custody using other methods.
“That guy was nice,” wrote one social media user. “Damaged by ok. No reason for him to be killed. The staff is traumatized (my friends) and they knew he was no actual danger.”
Following an investigation from the Critical Incident Response Team, an investigative file will be forwarded to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for independent review, Savage said. She declined to discuss why officers decided to breach the door rather than to continue waiting for Valn to come out.
“To ensure the integrity of investigation, there are no additional details or comments to provide at this time beyond what is included in the press release,” she said. “As the CIRT investigation, administrative investigation and independent review by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are pending, I do not currently have a timeline on the release of additional information.”
