Manassas Neighbors Mourn 'Deeply Loved' 18-Year-Old Killed In Shooting

MANASSAS, VA – Manassas residents are mourning 18-year-old Luis Angel Chavez, who was killed on Monday night in a shooting in the Bull Run Mobile Home Community.

In a post in the Manassas Talk Facebook group, Chris Griffin reflected on watching Chavez grow from a baby into a young man alongside his son, who was close to Chavez’s age. The post mentioned that Chavez had graduated and gotten his driver’s license only days before he was killed.

“Luis was the kind of young man who never failed to stop and say hello. Whether it was a handshake, a wave, or a quick conversation, he always made people feel acknowledged and respected,” Griffin said. “A few years ago, when we were moving my mother-in-law, Luis didn't hesitate to lend a helping hand. That's who he was — someone willing to help others without being asked twice.”

Commenters on the post reiterated that Chavez was a “deeply loved” member of the community and “a great kid.”

An online fundraiser launched by Marison Chavez, who said she is Luis’s older sister, had raised more than $22,000 by Wednesday afternoon. Chavez wrote that her brother “had a way of making everyone around him feel cared for and supported. To me, he was more than a brother—he was my protector, my best friend, and my rock.”

The fundraiser will help give Luis Chavez the farewell he deserves, it says.

Prince William County police have not yet described a suspect in the shooting, which occurred at around 10 p.m. Chavez was found collapsed in a backyard on Parrish Lane with a gunshot wound to his upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene.