Arlington police have arrested a man suspected of firing a gun at four locations across North Arlington late Friday night and early Saturday morning.
Eric Schaefer, 39, of Arlington, is charged with three counts of reckless handling of a firearm and three counts of discharging a firearm in a public place, according to an ACPD press release. He is being held without bond.
No one was hurt.
Police were first called to Military Road at 31st Street N. in Bellevue Forest shortly before midnight for a report of shots heard. More calls followed from other parts of North Arlington, and officers found evidence of gunfire at three other spots: the 2400 block of N. Quebec Street in Dover Crystal, the 5500 block of 15th Street N. in Tara-Leeway Heights and the 1100 block of N. Vermont Street in Ballston.
Callers described hearing four or five shots at a time, and reports kept coming in until nearly 1 a.m., according to scanner traffic.
Detectives developed a description of the suspect from evidence and witness interviews. Officers took him into custody Saturday afternoon during a traffic stop at Military Road and 24th Street N. The stop happened shortly after 1:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic.
Police said the suspect is involved in “an ongoing dispute with a known individual,” and that what led up to the gunfire is still under investigation. ACPD described it as an isolated incident and said there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the community.
More from ACPD:
At approximately 11:58 p.m. on November 6, police were dispatched to Military Road at 31st Street N. for the report of shots heard and subsequently received additional reports of shots heard in various locations in North Arlington. Responding officers canvassed the areas and recovered evidence of shots fired at the following locations:
- 5500 block of 15th Street N.
- 2400 block of N. Quebec Street
- 1100 block of N. Vermont Street
- Military Road at 31st Street N.
No injuries were reported. Detectives immediately launched a comprehensive criminal investigation and developed a suspect description based on evidence located at the scene and witness interviews. The suspect was taken into custody on the afternoon of November 7 during a traffic stop at Military Road and 24th Street N.
The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect is involved in an ongoing dispute with a known individual, and the events that preceded the shots fired remains under investigation. This appears to be an isolated incident, and the investigation has not indicated an ongoing threat to the community. Anyone who has information or video related to this case is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
