Man guilty of shooting wife, her boyfriend
John Francis Thomas Jr., 41, of Prince George’s County, Md., also shot his estranged wife, Tammy A. Bridges, 36, in the shoulder on July 22 in the bedroom of her home on Strasburg Street in the Manassas area.
Under terms of an agreement with prosecutors, Thomas entered guilty pleas in Prince William Circuit Court to two charges of malicious wounding and a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Prosecutors lessened the two wounding charges from more serious charges of aggravated malicious wounding, and dropped two charges of using a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Thomas will face up to 45 years in prison when he is sentenced April 18 by Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.
Thomas went to his wife’s home about 2 p.m. and went upstairs to the bedroom and kicked in the door, said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony Kostelecky.
His wife and her boyfriend, David Shack Jr., were seated, clothed, on the bed, police and prosecutors said.
The victims told Prince William County police that Thomas said: “There’s no other n—– going to sleep up in this house.” Thomas ordered the boyfriend to pull down his pants and began shooting with a .32-caliber handgun, Kostelecky said.
One bullet hit the boyfriend and another hit the wife, who was able to drive to a house where her mother was visiting a friend.
Bridges was treated and released from Inova Fairfax Hospital. Her boyfriend underwent surgery at the hospital to his abdominal area and now has “some disability” from the shooting, Kostelecky said.
Thomas’ criminal record consists of two felony convictions for possession of cocaine, in 1992 and 1999.
He also has faced charges of assault and battery and family abuse. He is being held in jail without bond.
Staff writer Patrick Wilson can be reached at (703) 368-7449.