2 men arrested for killing military couple outside of Virginia home
"We're here because two pillars of our community, of our country, really, we're gunned down viciously in their own front yard," the police chief said of Edward McDaniel Jr. and his wife Brenda McDaniel who were killed in Virginia
Authorities say they arrested two men this week for allegedly fatally shooting a U.S. Army colonel and his veteran wife outside their Virginia home.
According to WRC-TV, Thursday, Ronnie Marshall, 20, and D’Angelo Strand, 19, were each charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Fairfax County Police Department officials believe that on Wednesday, Edward McDaniel Jr., 55, and his wife Brenda McDaniel, 63, were gunned down outside of their home on the 8000 block of Flint Street in Springfield.
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“We’re here because two pillars of our community, of our country, really, we’re gunned down viciously in their own front yard,” Kevin Davis, the department’s chief of police, explained at a news conference Thursday evening.
To his point, the suspects were arrested after police found the 2018 light-colored Nissan Altima that investigators had been tied to the crime. Earlier the same day a third person of interest – whose identity has yet to be revealed – was also taken into custody after a local resident reported seeing the vehicle.
“Thanks to the community, we got our offenders,” praised Ed O’Carroll, commander of the department’s major crimes bureau.
McDaniel had been a doctor of internal medicine with the military since June 1995 and was director of executive medicine at Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital.
Army officials also noted that he held the rank of colonel and during his career received several awards and decorations including: Meritorious Service Medals, Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Army Superior Unit Award, National Defense Service Medals, Iraqi Campaign Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons, and the Combat Medic Badge.
His wife Col. Brenda McDaniel was a retired military nurse in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Her awards and decorations include: the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons and Presidential Service Identification Badge.
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“We’ve lost two brave, dedicated, life-long servants to our country,” Davis said. “Two full colonels were murdered in a residential neighborhood community.”
Davis went on to explain that officers were called to the home Monday regarding an altercation and potential burglary in progress. Audio from a dispatch call to responding officers confirms that police were informed that the caller and her husband were upstairs with a shotgun in their home while “the subject” was in the basement.
“Caller is advising the subject is after her son and that he is with them upstairs,” the dispatcher said.
48 hours later, the parents were killed instead of the son.
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