http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00034.html

Gunfire Hits Seven Loudoun Homes
Man Wounded; Gang Rivalry Is Suspected

By Candace Rondeaux
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 20, 2006; A01


A 47-year-old man was critically wounded while he slept early yesterday as gunmen fired as many as 30 rounds into seven homes in Loudoun County in what investigators suspect was escalating gang warfare.

The shootings lasted about 30 minutes, ending about 1:45 a.m. in the Sterling Park neighborhood, Loudoun authorities said. Other residents were in the targeted homes, but there were no other injuries.

Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson said the shootings, which spanned an area about two miles across in a largely working-class neighborhood in eastern Loudoun, were likely gang-related.

"This is not just some random act," Simpson said. "People should not feel that they are not safe in their homes. These people were targeted for a specific reason."

Sources close to the investigation said the violence could be the outgrowth of a turf war between Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and the 18th Street gang, rival Latino gangs with growing memberships in Northern Virginia.

Residents of Coventry Square, where three of the shootings occurred, said signs of gang activity had increased in the area. About six months ago, someone spray-painted "MS-13" on a tree and on the ground in front of the wounded man's house, said one neighbor, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell confirmed that both gangs are known to be active in the neighborhood. It remained unclear whether any of the targeted residents have connections to gangs, Troxell said.

Simpson said that the sheriff's five-member gang unit has worked to rein in the increased gang activity in eastern Loudoun but that more needs to be done to cut down on gang recruitment at schools and in neighborhoods.

"This is a long-term fix that's going to take a lot of resources," Simpson said.

MS-13, a gang with roots in Los Angeles and strong ties to El Salvador, has been responsible for a spate of violence in the region, including homicides and machete attacks, authorities say. In 2004, federal authorities estimated that 1,500 to 2,000 MS-13 members were active in Northern Virginia. In recent years, gangs such as 18th Street and South Side Locos have also grown and challenged the dominance of MS-13.

Authorities said they believe that at least two weapons were used in the shootings early yesterday. Investigators found a stolen 1997 Toyota Corolla that had been set on fire about 2:30 a.m. on Route 7, near Potomac View Road, that may have been used in the shootings.

The shootings occurred two days after officials with the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force announced a 39 percent drop in serious gang crimes last year, compared with 2004. The task force covers 16 jurisdictions, including Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

Yesterday, bullets pierced the front of the Coventry Square townhouse where the man was wounded while sleeping. The man, who was not identified, was flown to Washington Hospital Center.

About two miles away, shots were fired at a two-story townhouse on Aster Terrace, blasting through a second-floor window and punching holes in the vinyl siding of the house.

Coryl Abrams said she was reading about 1:20 a.m. in her home on Aster Terrace when she heard several loud bangs.

"At first, I was freaked out, but then I thought it was just punk kids setting off firecrackers," Abrams said. "But then, when the police came knocking on my door around 2 a.m. and said it was a shooting, I was shocked. We've never had anything like this in this area."

The shooters struck again about 1:30 a.m., hitting the front of a modest ranch house on a tree-lined stretch of North Argonne Avenue. One home on Margate Court and one on Holborn Court were also targeted. In all, seven homes were hit, authorities said.

Several residents of Coventry Square, a cul-de-sac of homes with neatly trimmed lawns, said they were awakened by gunfire. Branden Lawrence said that several sheriff's deputies arrived within minutes and that he saw rescue workers bringing his neighbor out on a stretcher.

"He looked like he was hurt pretty bad. He was moaning and groaning," Lawrence said.

Sheriff's deputies crunched through glass and debris as they searched a two-story townhouse on Coventry Square that had been riddled with bullets. Shots had left quarter-sized pockmarks in the vinyl siding, shattered upstairs and downstairs windows and warped the metal frame of a screen door.

Hassan Kamara, 25, said he worries now about the safety of his 5-year-old son and other children in the area.

"I couldn't believe this could happen in this neighborhood," Kamara said. "There's children playing here all the time, so you have to think about it. I hope it never happens again."

Others on Coventry Square said they are concerned that the shootings might fuel more violence.

Lawrence, a pastor at a Herndon church, said the incident cast a heavy pall over an otherwise quiet and friendly neighborhood.

"It makes you think twice about going outside," Lawrence said. "You feel safe while the police are here, but what happens when they're gone?"

Staff writer Tom Jackman contributed to this report.