As the community continues to grieve after last month’s shocking killing of 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen, the All Dulles Area Muslim Society is providing opportunities for support.
“It’s still having a shock wave, a ripple effect, however you want to describe it,” said Joshua Salaam, ADAMS Center chaplain, prior to a parent-outreach session Thursday afternoon at Forest Edge Elementary School. “People of all ages, all genders, all ethnicities are so traumatized by it.”
To help work through that trauma, the ADAMS Center along with Fairfax and Loudoun counties have been reaching out into the community to lend strength. Further relief opportunities have been announced for later this month, including listening sessions, youth hangouts and a letter-writing campaign.
In addition, a public gathering to reflect on the tragedy is scheduled for Sunday, June 16, from noon-3 p.m. at the ADAMS Center (46903 Sugarland Road, Sterling). Abidah Ali, ADAMS Center youth coordinator, said the afternoon will be directed toward young people, but all members of the community are invited to attend and show their support.
Salaam said the July dates are the beginnings of a year-long support plan to help the community work its way through the stages of grief.
“[The plan] involves a diverse way of healing — some might be with animals, some might be with art, some might be with writing,” he said. “We want it to be long-term, so youth and parents are given hope that they’re not just going to be forgotten about in a week.”
To be kept up-to-date on future activities related to coping with the loss, text @e4Nabra to 81010. You can also stay connected through the ADAMS Youth website.
Following a Washington Post report that the man accused of killing 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen last week is involved with MS-13, county police say otherwise.
In a media alert Wednesday afternoon, the Fairfax County Police Department says there is no credible information to link 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres, a Salvadoran national living in Sterling, with any gang.
“Homicide detectives investigating the murder of 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen looked into whether the suspect, Darwin Martinez Torres, is a gang member or affiliated with gangs, but have found no credible information to support any connection. The case remains active and we will release additional information as we can. Martinez Torres remains at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.”
Using information received from a Loudoun County woman, the Washington Post reported Tuesday that Torres “had punched, choked and sexually assaulted [the woman] and was a member of the MS-13 street gang.” The newspaper also cited Loudoun County Child Protective Services documents that “were read to a Washington Post reporter.”
FCPD has worked to combat rumors throughout its investigation into the brutal killing last Sunday morning. It has also repeatedly shot down community insistence that the Muslim teen’s slaying was hate-motivated. Rather, they’ve said, Torres was experiencing extreme road rage when he drove onto the curb, exited his vehicle with a baseball bat and attacked.
Nabra’s violent death has struck a chord within the community at large. A crowd in the thousands came out for a vigil in her honor last week at Lake Anne Plaza.
Torres Linked to Previous Attack, Gang — A week before Darwin Martinez Torres was arrested and charged with murdering Nabra Hassanen, a woman reported he had punched, choked and sexually assaulted her. She also claims he is a member of the MS-13 street gang. [Washington Post] (Editor’s Note: The Fairfax County Police Department later said there is “no credible information” to support gang ties.)
Brew House To Host Beer Rally Tonight — Teams of three will run three laps around Lake Anne. Each lap is a mile and a half, and contestants can either run one lap each or all three laps together. There will be prizes raffled and a chance for free drinks. [Lake Anne Brew House/Facebook]
Reston Hospital Center Gives Out Scholarships — Last week, the medical staff of Reston Hospital Center awarded $15,000 worth of scholarships to 15 Fairfax and Loudoun County high school seniors. Hasmah Hussain, from  South Lakes High School, was one of the recipients. [Reston Hospital Center]
Modified Bus Schedule for July 4 — Fairfax Connector buses will run on a Saturday schedule on July 4. [Fairfax County Goverment]
E. Ethelbert Miller at Greater Reston Arts Center — Writer and literary activist will come to the Greater Reston Arts Center at 6 p.m. Thursday. Miller has been the editor of poetry magazine Poet Lore for 10 years, and he is the author of several collections of poetry and two memoirs.  [Greater Reston Arts Center]
As the community continues to recover after last week’s brutal killing of a Reston teenager, one activist says the psychological impact on surviving youth will live on.
“For many of us in Northern Virginia, it’s really during Ramadan where we carve out special places to feel like home,” said Aya Saed, a Harvard Law School student and organizer for the Deeply Rooted Retreat for Black Muslim Youth. “For the crime to have happened in this moment is really quite traumatic to young people who are just starting to creating safe spaces for themselves and forever.”
Saed and other prominent members of the area’s Muslim community appeared on “The Kojo Nnamdi Show” today on WAMUÂ to reflect on the slaying of Nabra Hassanen and discuss its implications on a future generation of Muslim children.
Nabra, 17, was attacked and abducted in the early morning hours June 18 while walking back from McDonald’s after an overnight service at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society. She was beaten to death and her body was found in a Loudoun County pond. Fairfax County police say that her killing followed an extreme case of road rage.
“Any time this type of incident happens, it runs deep,” said Joshua Salaam, ADAMS Center chaplain, of the community atmosphere following Nabra’s death. “Any individual can point back to five [or] six incidents in the last year where the victim was a Muslim.”
Carmel Delshad, a news producer for WAMU, said young Muslims are fearful in a time when violence against them appears to be increasing.
“I think mosques are doing what they can to ensure extra security measures in place,” she said. “People are looking over their shoulder [and] they’re taking self-defense classes just to be prepared.”
Saed said that kids Nabra’s age, both locally and elsewhere in the country, have been rocked by what happened to her that morning.
“It’s worth talking about the kinds of psychological impact this is having,” she said. “For many young Muslims, this is the only reality that they know in the United States.”
The possibility that 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen was sexually assaulted during the events leading to her death is being investigated, police say.
Edwin Roessler, Fairfax County Police Department chief, told media prior to the start of a vigil in Nabra’s honor Wednesday that test results are being awaited before any official statement can be made.
“At this point in time right now, it’s an active investigation,” Roessler said. “We’re pursuing that possibility [that a sexual assault happened], but we have to wait for forensic examination results and the report of autopsy from the medical examiner to confirm whether or not that took place.”
The assaults Nabra suffered prior to her death were “one continuous event” that began in Fairfax County and ended in Loudoun County, Roessler said. He reiterated once again, emphatically, that no evidence has emerged that points to the killing as being a hate crime.
“Right now, that is a myth on social media,” Roessler said. “There is no evidence at this point in the investigation, at all, that this was hate-motivated.”
Roessler said if anyone has information that would point toward the crime being bias-motivated, he wants to hear it. But he shot down several questions from media regarding rumors about the suspect’s motives.
Imam Mohamed Magid of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society expressed his confidence in the work of the Fairfax County Police Department, and he thanked them for all they have done already to help put the pieces together.
“We are so glad that they were able to find [the suspect] and get him into custody very quick,” Magid said. “The community has trust in [the police] in this investigation. They told us they will not leave any stone unturned in this investigation, and we appreciate that.”
The suspect, a 22-year-old Salvadoran national named Darwin Martinez Torres, remains in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He has a court date set for July 19.
She was beautiful. She was selfless. She was caring. She was open-minded. She was compassionate. She was so many other wonderful things.
That message was heard by a crowd of attendees in the thousands at a vigil in her honor Wednesday evening at Lake Anne Plaza. It was shared by the family and friends of the slain 17-year-old Reston girl, as well as by members of the area’s interfaith community, as they said goodbye to a beloved young lady taken too soon and too violently.
She was a young lady who must be remembered as more than just another faceless victim of a violent crime, mourners reminded.
“We tend to talk about ‘a Muslim woman’ or ‘a black woman,'” said Herndon native Rosalie Kendall, who now lives in Arlington. She came to the vigil with a sign that read, in part, #SayHerName. “[We don’t] talk about them by name when these things happen, and that makes them seem like they’re interchangeable and disposal.”
One of Nabra’s family members who addressed the crowd during the vigil repeated the sentiment.
“I just want to say, ‘I love you, baby girl, and I know you’re looking down,’ and I just hope she rests easy,” said a cousin. “Thank you all for coming and please don’t forget to say her name.”
#NabraHassanen vigil https://t.co/txvf0grcMG
— Dave Emke (@emkedave) June 21, 2017
In addition to tearful speeches from friends and family, the vigil featured an address from Imam Mohamed Magid of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, of which Nabra was a member and where she was just before she was killed early Sunday morning by a Salvadoran national police say experienced extreme road rage. Nabra was laid to rest earlier Wednesday following a funeral service at ADAMS.
Magid said the large crowd of all ages, religions and races that came out Wednesday night to support Nabra was a testament to her spirit.
“The love and the respect and the care this community has shown to all of us is overwhelming,” Magid said. “Everybody made us feel as if this is their own daughter, and I appreciate that very much.”
Other speakers included Rabbi Michael Holzman of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, as well as a representative of Restoration Church, located very near Nabra’s home on Becontree Lane.
Nabra was a sophomore at South Lakes High School, and the event was organized by the SLHS Muslim Student Association. Principal Kim Retzer spoke on behalf of the school.
“As we mourn the loss of Nabra, we delight in the fact that we were part of her journey and she touched our lives in a very meaningful way,” Retzer said. “We will remember her for the joy she brought us in the short time we knew her, for her sweet smile, for her love of family and friends, and for the way she united our school and our community.”
The community came together with an outpouring of signs, flowers and kind words during the vigil. A memorial book was signed by many of those who attended, and some made displays of their condolences through chalk artwork on the bricks at the plaza’s entrance.
Nada A., a Muslim woman from Reston who declined to provide her full last name, was one of those who left a message in chalk. After drawing a heart with “In Loving Memory – Nabra” etched inside, she said that while she didn’t know Nabra personally, she felt a connection with her.
“This is bringing people together and shattering any sort of boundaries; any sort of taboos; any racial, social or religious boundaries,” Nada said. “Everyone is just gathering for a girl whose life was just taken away too soon — it really is just the common factor.”
Romin Patel, who lives at Lake Anne, said he came out for the vigil because he was compelled to show his support for the community.
“We are one, there is no different race,” he said. “If we could just help each other out, it would be great for society as a whole.”
For more scenes and reactions from Wednesday’s vigil, see below.
Homicide detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department will continue to lead the investigation into the death of 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen of Reston.
Jurisdictional issues have arisen since the crime, which took place just before 4 a.m. Sunday. Police say Nabra was assaulted and abducted near the intersection of Dranesville Road and Woodson Drive, which is just east of the Fairfax/Loudoun county line. Police say she was then taken to Loudoun County, where she was assaulted again and her body was thrown into a pond.
According to police accounts, Nabra and a group of friends had been at a Ramadan service at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society and were on their way back after going to breakfast at the McDonald’s in the Town Center at Sterling plaza. Both of those places are just west of the Fairfax/Loudoun line.
“The Fairfax County Police Department has partnered closely with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office with the common goal of justice for Nabra as well as for her family, friends and community,” FCPD said in a news release. “Our department will continue to work alongside the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney as this case moves forward.”
Police have charged 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres, a Salvadoran national, with murder in the case. They say Torres became enraged with the group of teens and exited his car wielding a baseball bat, striking Nabra. An autopsy revealed her cause of death as blunt force trauma.
Nabra was finishing her sophomore year at South Lakes High School.
Police say they are not investigating Nabra’s death as a hate crime; however, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh has said he will continue to weigh the possibility before deciding how to proceed with the case. Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman says he supports the decision to keep the case in Fairfax County and “will lend any assistance if requested.”
(This article was updated at 10:20 a.m. to include the day’s schedule from the ADAMS Center.)
Services for Nabra Hassanen will take place this afternoon at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (46903 Sugarland Road, Sterling).
Hassanen was killed Sunday after what police say was an extreme road-rage incident on Dranesville Road. She was walking along with friends back toward the ADAMS Center from McDonald’s.
The ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the ADAMS Center. South Lakes High School released the following information this morning for those who would like to attend:
- The ADAMS Center has two levels. Those attending who do not practice the faith will be seated either in the sanctuary area in chairs off to the side or on the balcony level. Men and women are separate in the sanctuary area and guests seated in that area will also be separate by gender.
- Please dress conservatively — shirts should be elbow-length or below and pants or skirts should be at or below the knee. Dressing conservatively is expected. Head coverings or scarfs for women are appropriate if you choose.
- The funeral service is not very long (30 mins). For those who are guests, our role will be to reflect in quiet while observing the traditional prayers. Unlike most Christian services, there are not usually speakers or tributes done.
- There are no flowers — do not bring nor do any groups need to send.
- The burial will take place afterward [at Sterling Cemetery]. The ADAMS Center is providing some transportation for those who would like to attend. Please note that the burial is a very quiet, somber ceremony with a lot of tradition. The men in the family take the active role. It is most appropriate for family and close friends to attend.
Our thoughts & prayers are with Sr. Nabra's family, May Allah (swt) grant comfort, serenity, strength and patience in this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/i459PWzixt
— ADAMS Center (@ADAMSCenter_) June 21, 2017
A public vigil in Nabra’s memory is also planned for 6:30 p.m. tonight at Lake Anne Plaza. More than 1,400 people have indicated on Facebook that they plan to attend. Check the Facebook page for information about parking.
The suspect in Sunday’s killing of a South Lakes High School sophomore is under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
Carissa Cutrell, a spokesperson for ICE, confirmed that the detainer was lodged Monday against 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres of Sterling. Torres is facing a murder charge in the death of 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen, who was attacked on Dranesville Road in Herndon early Sunday morning. Her body was found later that day in a Sterling pond.
Torres is a citizen of El Salvador living in the United States. An ICE detainer is filed to “identify and ultimately remove criminal aliens who are currently in federal, state or local custody,” according to the ICE website.
“ICE lodges detainers on aliens who have been arrested on local criminal charges when the agency has probable cause to believe an alien is removable from the United States,” Cutrell said, adding that Torres had no encounters with ICE prior to this case.
The Fairfax County Police Department believes Torres killed Hassanen after becoming enraged by the group of teens walking from McDonald’s toward the All Dulles Area Muslim Society following a Ramadan service. He chased after the teens, police said, and caught Hassanen. He allegedly struck her with a baseball bat before putting her in his car and taking her to Loudoun County, where police say he killed her.
Torres remains in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He has a court date set for July 19.
SLHS Class of 2017 Graduates Tonight — The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Bank Arena on the campus of George Mason University. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Nationwide Vigils for Nabra Hassanen — The Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment has planned numerous vigils across the nation in honor of Nabra Hassanen, the Reston teen who was killed Sunday. Events are scheduled in DC, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and more. [WISE/Facebook]
Connolly Talks Issues — Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) held a town-hall meeting Monday night in Reston. Check out his Twitter feed to see what was discussed. [Gerry Connolly/Twitter]
Volunteers Sought for Century Ride — The 35th annual ride is scheduled for Aug. 27, and helpers are needed for planning, rest stops and cleanup. [Reston Bike Club]
Photo of Reston sunset courtesy Lizette Badillo Ryan
A 17-year-old Reston girl was killed early Sunday morning because a driver became extremely enraged, police say.
At a press conference Monday evening, representatives of the Fairfax County Police Department continued to fight rumors that Nabra Hassanen was killed because she was Muslim. Instead, they said, she was killed because of the quickly escalating temper of the assailant, who police say is 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres of Sterling.
Police confirmed Monday evening that a body found in a Sterling pond Sunday afternoon is Nabra. They say she was part of a large group of teenagers walking and biking back on Dranesville Road, toward the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, from McDonald’s at about 3:40 a.m. Sunday when the altercation began.
“Torres drove up to this group, and a male teen who was on a bike began arguing with Torres,” said Julie Parker, director of FCPD’s media relations bureau. “At that point, the group scattered. Witnesses say that Torres caught up with the group a short time later in a nearby parking lot and got out of his car armed with a baseball bat.”
The suspect began chasing the group of about 15 teens, Parker said, and Nabra was the one he caught. Police said they do not yet know why the suspect was so enraged, but that there is no indication that he had any particular bias against Muslims.
“His anger over that earlier encounter led to violence when he hit Nabra with the baseball bat,” Parker said. “Torres then took Nabra with him in his car to a second location nearby, in Loudoun County.”
Lt. Bryan Holland of FCPD’s Criminal Investigation Unit said that Nabra was assaulted a second time in Loudoun County before the suspect dumped her body and returned to the area of the altercation, where his car was identified by a patrolling officer and he was arrested at about 5:15 a.m.
Police believe the suspect acted alone, and they are not searching for any others. Torres is being held without bond.
Both FCPD and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova said they stand with the Muslim community as some live in fear, despite police statements that no religious or ethnic bias was at play in this case.
“Law enforcement will not know for sure until all of the facts are uncovered in this case, and it is still an ongoing investigation,” Bulova said. “While the police work to uncover the motive, the fact remains that any violent murder is a senseless and hateful act.”
The case may be prosecuted in Loudoun County if the continued investigation merits such a move, police said.
Aniq Bhatti, one of Nabra Hassanen’s classmates at South Lakes High School, said the girl had no enemies.
“No enemies at all,” Bhatti reiterated. “She would never want to or have to. That’s the way she is.”
Bhatti was one of many friends and neighbors who came to Nabra’s home Monday afternoon as a tight-knit community mourned the untimely loss of the beloved young girl. They gathered around Nabra’s mother, Sawsan Gazzar, in her stairwell to provide their condolences and share in her grief.
Nabra was killed early Sunday morning after being attacked and separated from her friends while walking on Dranesville Road near the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, police say.
The line of mourners stretched down the stairs and, at times, far down the sidewalk of the apartment complex on Becontree Lane. Tears abounded as dozens of Nabra’s friends from SLHS joined the line, fresh off an emotional day at the school.
“No one hated her. No one ever talked bad about her,” said Yanis Gribi, one of those friends. “She didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Police say a man attacked Nabra as she was walking back from breakfast with her friends following an overnight activity at the ADAMS Center. A body, presumably Nadra’s, was recovered later Sunday in a pond in Sterling.
A suspect in the case, 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres of Sterling, was arrested Sunday and faces a murder charge. He is being held without bond.
Fairfax County Police said Monday morning that the case is not being investigated as a hate crime, but rather as a case of road rage. However, county prosecutor Ray Morrogh said later in the day that he would wait until more information is collected before deciding how to proceed.
“For what happened, and how she is, I don’t think she deserved to die like that,” Gribi said. “And to be thrown in a lake, like she was trash, like she was nothing.”
Her friends decorated her locker at South Lakes with pictures, flowers and notes. Nabra was finishing her sophomore year.
“She was everyone’s friend — everyone,” said Liban Issak. “She loved everybody and everything. She brought everyone together.”
A vigil to celebrate Nabra’s life is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lake Anne Plaza.
Photo of locker courtesy Yanis Gribi
Update: Police Not Looking at Teen’s Death as Hate Crime — The Fairfax County Police Department says the killing of a 17-year-old Muslim girl from Reston is not being investigated as bias-motivated. We are continuing to follow this story and will provide more information as it becomes available. [Fairfax County Police Department/Twitter]
Connolly Hosting Town Hall Tonight — Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) will host a town-hall meeting at Sunset Hills Montessori School (11180 Ridge Heights Road) from 7-8:30 p.m. tonight. The congressman will provide a congressional update and then take audience questions. [Eventbrite]
County Seeks Volunteers for Attack Prep — The Fairfax County Health Department has robust plans in place to respond to a wide-scale bioterrorism attack. Volunteers are needed to help with a training exercise Saturday, July 29. [Fairfax County Health Department]
County Office for Children Gets Grant — The grant will allow the office to work with high-quality family child care programs in areas of Fairfax County with concentrated poverty to provide preschool services for eligible children. [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]
Herndon Woman Sees Central Asia — Cathy Alifrangis says her special birthday journey to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan was filled with culture, history and pleasant surprises. [Washington Post]
(This article was updated at 8:50 a.m. after FCPD announced that the killing is not being investigated as a hate crime.)
The All Dulles Area Muslim Society says it is “devastated and heartbroken” after a 17-year-old girl was killed near the mosque early Sunday morning.
The teen, who has been identified by family and friends as Nabra Hassanen of Reston, was a “dear daughter, sister and friend,” the ADAMS Center said in a Facebook post late Sunday night.
Police and the ADAMS Center both report the girl was walking with a group of teens along Dranesville Road early Sunday morning when a man exited his vehicle and assaulted and abducted Hassanen. The other members of the group were helped by “community members,” according to ADAMS, and directed back toward the mosque. ADAMS Center personnel contacted authorities in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, who began their search for the girl.
A suspect, 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres of Sterling, was arrested a few hours later when he was spotted “driving suspiciously” in the area of the abduction. A female body was found at about 3 p.m. Sunday in a pond in Sterling; the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will provide identification and determine the exact cause and manner of death.
“We thank both Fairfax County Police and Loudoun County Sheriff’s departments for their diligent efforts in investigating and apprehending a suspect,” the ADAMS Center said. “We call on law enforcement to investigate and determine the motive of this crime and prosecute to the full extent of the law.”
The Fairfax County Police Department says Hassanen’s killing is not being investigated as a hate crime.
We are NOT investigating this murder as a hate crime. https://t.co/f6TegmdKMR pic.twitter.com/mlGzrQfiMk
— Fairfax Co. Police (@fairfaxpolice) June 19, 2017
Hassanen was a sophomore at South Lakes High School, where counselors will be on site today. Counselors will also be at the ADAMS Center to assist anyone in need of support.
A vigil has also been slated for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lake Anne Plaza.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Image via LaunchGood.com
(This article was updated at 9:05 p.m. with information that the girl is believed to be a South Lakes High School student, and again at 9:45 p.m. after police confirmed the girl was from Reston.)
Police say a body found this afternoon is likely that of a Reston teenager who went missing after an overnight activity in the Herndon area, and a Sterling man is in jail facing a murder charge.
Tawny Wright, spokesperson for the Fairfax County Police Deparment, said during a media briefing that officers responded at about 4 a.m. Sunday for a report of friends who couldn’t find a member of their group. Officers initiated a search for a 17-year-old girl in the area of Dranesville Road and Woodson Drive, near an unidentified facility the teens had left.
“Our investigation has determined that she was out walking with her friends when, for some reason, they got into a dispute with a man driving a car,” Wright said. “We’re looking into the details of exactly what happened, but for some reason, the man got out of the vehicle and he assaulted one of the group.”
Wright said the girl who was assaulted was the missing teenager, whom she did not identify. After a search that was assisted by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the grisly discovery was made at about 3 p.m. Sunday.
“Remains of a female were found in a pond off of Ridgetop Circle,” Wright said. “Detectives unfortunately do believe that was our victim, but the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will confirm the remains’ identity and determine the exact cause and manner of death.”
South Lakes High School sent an email Sunday evening saying it is believed the girl was a student there. Principal Kim Retzer wrote:
“Police are investigating the death of a teen who was reported missing earlier today. It’s believed that the missing teen is one of our students and while we await further news about this very sad incident, I would also ask that you refrain from engaging in rumor and speculation on social media about today’s events.
I wanted you to be aware of these developments and to inform you that we will have crisis counselors at the school beginning tomorrow morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.”