Police: Couple may have been targeted after visit to casino

A Fairfax woman is recovering after being shot in front of her home. Police are looking for the shooter and are investigating if that person may have followed the 66-year-old woman and her husband home from a Maryland casino.

It happened late Saturday night along Kenerson Drive in Fairfax. The victim was approached outside her home and her purse was snatched. But when she tried to get it back, someone shot her.

Her neighbors heard the gunfire.

"It was about 11:50 [p.m.] and I heard yelling, then I heard a loud bang and I thought it was just the college kids partying," said Amy Valilikit. "So I went back to bed and that's when I heard the sirens and saw the lights and police come into the neighborhood."

The woman's son told FOX 5 his mother is doing as well as can be expected after being wounded in the arm. He said his parents had been playing slots at Maryland Live! Casino that night, but did not win a large amount of money.

Police are trying to figure out if the couple had been targeted at the casino and then tracked to their home about 40 miles away.

Last week in an unrelated crime, FOX 5 told you about a woman who was sentenced to eight years in prison after she and her partner befriended an elderly couple at the same casino. The couple then conned, stalked, and robbed them. Casino cameras helped prosecute the case.

Meanwhile, police are warning casino goers to stay focused when gambling. Here are some safety tips Fairfax County police are recommending for people while at the casino:

- Be aware of your surroundings as you gamble
- Look around to see if you are being watched
- Change your route to and from your car in the parking lot in case someone is watching you
- Always report suspicious activity

Police are asking for help in solving this case. Although they are not releasing details about the casino, in other casino-related crimes, often cameras inside and outside the casinos are used to help solve these cases.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477) or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.