Family members of victim recall learning about deadly Manassas workplace shooting
Wife of victim in Northern Virginia workplace shooting speaks out
The wife of one of the men killed in a Manassas workplace shooting spoke out. Two people died, and a third person was injured in the shooting. The suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
MANASSAS, Va. - Heartbreak and shock gripped the Manassas community after a deadly workplace shooting at a local United Rentals facility. The shooting left two employees dead, and a third injured Wednesday morning.
What we know:
The gunman, identified by police as 37-year-old Marvin Grant, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff on Interstate 81.
Grant, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was recently hired at the facility.
According to police, Grant walked into the facility on Wednesday morning and said, "Three people are gonna die," before he pulled out a handgun and opened fire on his coworkers.
READ MORE | Who is Marvin Grant? Manassas United Rentals employee dies of self-inflicted gunshot, police say
Three people were hit by gunfire. Two died from their injuries while a third is in stable condition at a local hospital and expected to survive, police said.
After the shooting, detectives tracked Grant as he fled south down I-81, more than 100 miles from the scene. The incident led to a standoff on the highway. Video from witnesses showed traffic backed up for miles during the encounter.
Police said Grant shot himself in the head during the standoff and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The two victims killed in the shooting were identified as 33-year-old Christopher Serrano and 48-year-old Richard Lamont. Both were fathers.
Wife recalls learning about shooting
Serrano's wife, Mayra, shared photos of her late husband, but was not ready to do an on-camera interview. She recalled the moments when she learned about the deadly shooting.
She said her husband texted her that "someone brought a gun to work."
Mayra said she called her husband's phone relentlessly after that text. Eventually, someone who was caring for him answered his phone.
"I would like to say his last words to me over the phone were 'I love you,'" Serrano's wife shared in a text to FOX 5’s Sydney Persing. "Even in his last moments, he let me know how much he loved us. He loved his kids, his family, and we all loved him very much. He was a great dad, an amazing partner, and a wonderful son."
Serrano leaves behind his wife, their 3-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son who celebrated his birthday just days before the shooting. A GoFundMe page was set up to help support the family and children.
"Above everything else, he loved being their dad. Knowing that our children now have to navigate life without their father is a reality I am still struggling to comprehend," Serrano's wife wrote on the fundraiser.
Brother-in-law says family is processing loss
Serrano’s brother-in-law, Emanuel Maturano Garcia, said his family is still processing what happened. He described the moment that he learned about the shooting as he was traveling back from Madrid.
"My sister had called me when I was on a plane coming back from Madrid, heading home... she just calls me and says that my brother-in-law got shot, and I think I just froze in the moment," Garcia recalled. "I got a text message saying that he passed away. And had to get home quick and just been here with my family."
Garcia said his family is struggling to process the loss, but he is taking comfort in the memories that they shared.
"He was a brother to me during the COVID years," Garcia said. "I don't really know how to comfort my sister or myself or anybody else in my family... I don't know how else to cope just by thinking of him."
Garcia said he had no knowledge of any friction at his brother-in-law’s workplace or who the suspect was.
Lamont remembered as youth coach
Manassas Police Chief Douglas Keen said he and the second victim, Richard Lamont, used to coach youth football together. FOX 5 has not yet been able to obtain a photo of Lamont.
"September's been a rough month. We lost a 16-year-old; now we lost someone I actually coached youth football with," the police chief said during a news conference Wednesday. "Knowing what his commitment was with his children as a father, it hits home for our community."
What's next:
Despite the suspect's death, the investigation is ongoing as detectives work to determine a motive for the shooting.
"Some might consider the case closed with Mr. Grant's death. That brings no closure to this case. Our community is still hurting. That brings no relief to our victims' families," said Chief Keen.
Keen said Grant changed his license plate overnight. Detectives are working to determine if the shooting was premeditated.
The Source: Information in this article is from Manassas police and original FOX 5 DC reporting.