Man charged in double shooting
A 19-year-old Dumfries-area college student was killed, and his 47-year-old mother is in serious condition at Inova Fairfax Hospital, following a double shooting in their 2933 Hickory Creek Court house 6 p.m. Monday.
Jerry W. Bolden, 47, was charged with murder and malicious wounding in connection with the shooting of his wife, Fran Bolden, and stepson, Tommie J. Wonnum III. He is held with no bond pending an Aug. 5 court date, said 1st Sgt. Kim Chinn, Prince William County police.
Bolden’s wife Fran stumbled out of her house as police, responding to a shooting call, tried to make contact with the people inside. They had been doing so for minutes but were unsuccessful, Chinn said.
A SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called to the scene; police knew Tommie J. Wonnum III was inside suffering from a gunshot wound, but were unsure of his condition. Bolden, armed with a handgun, refused to leave, Chinn said.
A 40-year-old neighbor who would not identify herself said Fran was shot near the lower left side of her stomach around 6 p.m. She saw the woman crawl out onto the porch, as blood saturated her shirt. Police then dragged her to a waiting ambulance at the end of the street. She was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she was in surgery Monday night.
Police negotiated with Bolden for a while before he decided to come out, Chinn said. A 44-year-old resident that car pools to Arlington with Fran Bolden said another neighbor called the suspect to convince him to surrender to police. When Bolden came out, the SWAT team found Wonnum’s body. Wonnum, described by neighbors as “just a great kid,” had just finished his second year at Virginia State University in Petersburg.
Police are not sure what happened preceding the killing; the case is still under investigation. Neighbors said police had been to the house several times before for domestic calls. The 44-year-old neighbor said Fran Bolden works at a federal agency in Arlington. On rides to work, they talked at length about the marital troubles the Boldens had — the couple is separating. Fran Bolden is on vacation, and stayed home Monday to ensure her husband did not take any of her things, according to her 44-year-old neighbor. Bolden was set to move out Monday after 10 years of marriage, neighbors said.
Before the suspect surrendered, Prince William police evacuated area residents to the Southbridge Community Center, and blocked traffic at the end of Hickory Creek Court. The 44-year-old neighbor was not able to get to her house, so she parked at Southbridge and walked home, where she watched police make the arrest. Navon Jeffries, 17, said he saw Bolden standing in the door frame, while officers yelled at him to give up.
Corralled at Southbridge, most neighborhood residents did not know what happened, but had an idea, said Aaron Smith, 18. Smith said the family had personal problems many people knew about. The 40-year-old neighbor did not find out Wonnum was dead until a Washington Post reporter called her Monday night.
No one interviewed saw what happened before police arrived. The shootings happened inside.
Wonnum was a good student who helped neighbors with yard work and baby-sitting, neighbors said. He washed cars for free, and knew everyone on the street. He sometimes drove Jeffries to school or football practice.