MANASSAS PARK, Va. — A quiet Manassas Park neighborhood became the scene of tragedy after police discovered four people dead from gunshot wounds in a townhouse Thursday night.
Manassas Park Police officers found 38-year-old Santosh Pariyar, 36-year-old Anju Shrestha, a 2-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl dead when they conducted a welfare check at a townhouse on Lanae Lane around 10:40 p.m., WUSA reported.
Investigators recovered a firearm at the scene and are treating the incident as a murder-suicide, though they have not identified who they believe was the shooter.
"Very tragic. Poor children," neighbor Rula Brown said.
Residents in the area described the shock of learning about the deaths.
"The police were here, we couldn't sleep that much because it was unknown," said Mustafa Musaferzada, a neighbor. "We didn't know what happened."
As news spread through the community, friends of the victims gathered at the home seeking answers about what happened.
"I couldn't believe that because I was just guessing something bad," said Suresh Sundas, a friend of the victims.
"But when I saw the news, I definitely...you can see that there's nothing worse can happen."
Manassas Park City Schools confirmed the 8-year-old girl attended Manassas Park Elementary. The school district sent a letter to parents offering support services.
"We recognize that events like this can bring up a range of emotions, and it's important that we support one another. Counselors and support staff will be available at school to speak with students and staff who may need someone to talk to," the letter stated.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
