Man Fired Gun Shots During Child Custody Exchange In Stafford: Police

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A man fired multiple gunshots at the mother of his child during a custody exchange in Stafford County on Sunday evening, authorities said.

The victim was not injured in the shooting, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said. Their 1-year-old child was also unharmed.

Investigators identified the man as 28-year-old Almon Wheeler of Maryland. Wheeler was already wanted in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County, and King George County, police said. In Stafford County, he is charged with attempted murder, malicious shooting at a vehicle and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Wheeler is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. If convicted of all charges in Stafford County, he could face up to 13 years in prison, based on Virginia's sentencing guidelines.

The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. on Sunday in the Argyle Heights neighborhood. Wheeler and the victim met at the 7-Eleven on Dixon Street in Fredericksburg to perform the custody exchange, police said. Wheeler was in the passenger seat of a car, his child was in the backseat, and another woman was in the driver's seat.

"Before the mother could take custody of the child, a disturbance started and the female driver proceeded to drive away from the scene with Wheeler and the child," the sheriff's office said. "The mother followed the other car into Stafford County and both vehicles stopped in Argyle Heights."

When the mother got out of her car again, Wheeler fired two gunshots at her, investigators said. The shots missed her and hit her car.

The woman driving Wheeler's car then left the scene; they took the child to another relative, authorities said. Detectives took Wheeler into custody in King George County on Tuesday.

There are a number of resources available to victims of domestic abuse in Virginia. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be found at 1-800-799-7233. Virginia's family violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-838-8238.