Updated: Homicide Site 'Horrific Scene' Says Herndon Police Chief

Updated 4:18 p.m.: This story was updated with information from Chief Maggie DeBoard's Saturday afternoon press briefing.

HERNDON, VA — While investigating a suspected suicide at a Reston Town Center parking garage, Fairfax County Police asked Town of Herndon Police to conduct a welfare check at a residence in town. The information had originated from the subject of a suicide investigation.

Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard confirmed the discovery of three homicide victims around 7:30 a.m., on Saturday, at residence in Herndon.

"After a preliminary investigation and assistance from neighbors, officers made entry into a home in the 500 block of Florida Avenue where they discovered a very horrific scene," DeBoard said, during a Saturday afternoon news conference."The bodies of three individuals were victims of an apparent homicide."

Although DeBoard did not release the identities of the three victims, she did say they were an adult and two juveniles from the same family. The names are not being released until next of kin are notified.

"Through the investigation, it was determined that the subject who had died by suspected suicide had a personal relationship with the adult victim," DeBoard said. "First and foremost, our hearts grieve for the family of the victims."

DeBoard did not elaborate on the cause of deaths in either the suicide or the three homicides, although she did say the Medical Examiner's Office was involved in the investigation.

"I think we will close this fairly quickly," DeBoard said. "I can tell you for sure there are no public safety concerns at this time. That's really important for our community to know." She added police were not looking for a suspect at this time.

FCPD's Victims Services Division is providing assistance to the family as they cope with the tragedy of the traumatic event, the chief said.

"Our officers were also exposed to a very horrific scene, and with the assistance from the Fairfax County Peer Support team and resources that we have in place here in the Town of Herndon, we have made these resources available to our officers and they are getting the assistance that they need to continue to work this traumatic event and cope with the exposure to trauma that they too have experienced," DeBoard said.

While HPD officers are exposed to traumatic incidents as part of their day-to-day jobs, DeBoard described Saturday's crime scene as "a bad scene."

"Anytime that officers are involved in going to scenes where kids have been the victim of homicide, it's a very, very difficult situation, especially when many of our officers have kids of their own," DeBoard said. "We worry about that. We worry about the exposure they have as well to make sure that they're whole and healthy and they can continue to cope with these things."

Saturday's three homicides are the first to occur in the Town of Herndon in 2021.