Sweetgreen Temporarily Closed in Reston Town Center — Sweetgreen has temporarily closed its location at 1824 Library Street because of water damage. The company expects to reopen its doors soon, but no word yet on exactly when that might happen. [Sweetgreen]
Reston Multicultural Festival Returns Later This Month — After a pause last year due to the pandemic, the Reston Multicultural Festival is back this year on Sept. 25. Organized by Reston Community Center, the festival will include arts and crafts, entertainment, food, a global market and family activities. [RCC]
State Issues Notice About Measles Cases in Northern Virginia — Five people were diagnosed with measles in the area, prompting the Virginia Department of Health to issue an alert about possible exposure. The individuals recently traveled from Afghanistan. Most U.S. residents receive measles vaccinations during childhood. [Virginia Department of Health]
Reston Company Announces Merger — Reston-based education technology giant Blackboard is merging with a Florida-based software company called Anthology. The terms of the deal were not publicly disclosed. [Technical.ly]
The Glossary Nail Spa is opening a second location in Reston.
Owner Hollee Ho tells Reston Now that she plans to open a new salon in North Point Village Center in February 2022.
Ho, a Fairfax County resident, has operated more than 20 salons over the course of her career. She now owns five salons, excluding the future location in North Point Village Center.
The spa will be located at 1458 North Point Village Center, space formerly occupied by Ellada Studio, a beauty spa and studio. A sign permit was processed by the county in late August.
She hopes to “capture the clients of Reston and Great Falls by providing them a very spacious salon and easy parking.” The new location is roughly 3,200 square feet.
The Reston Town Center location opened in 2019. Ho says that location will remain open for the foreseeable future.
Several salons and studio have come and gone in the last few years at North Point Village Center, including Ellada Studio.
The sushi joint Matsutake Sushi is expected to fill the vacancy left two years ago by Boston Market in November.
Like many of their counterparts across the technology industry, Microsoft and Facebook workers won’t be returning to cubicles any time soon, but both companies say they remain committed to previously announced plans to add office space at Reston Town Center.
Microsoft announced in a corporate blog post on Thursday (Sept. 9) that it has scrapped plans to fully reopen its California headquarters and other U.S. offices on Oct. 4, citing the continued uncertainty of COVID-19, particularly with the spread of the Delta variant.
“Protecting employee health and safety continues to be our top priority and we’ve decided to adjust our plans as we follow the latest information and guidance from health and data experts, and respond to COVID-19’s highly dynamic nature,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.
A presence in Reston since 2002, Microsoft currently occupies a 153,000 square-foot office in Two Discovery Square at 12012 Sunset Hills Road.
The company told Reston Now that it doesn’t disclose worker headcounts by location, but nationwide, the decision to indefinitely postpone its office reopening plans affects more than 103,000 employees, according to NBC4.
“We will fully re-open each U.S. worksite once our Stage 6 health and criteria and local guidelines are met at each location,” the Microsoft spokesperson said by email. “At that point, we’ll communicate a 30-day transition period that provides time for employees to return to the work site.”
Microsoft announced in May 2020 that it will lease 400,000 square feet of office space in Two Freedom Square (11955 Freedom Drive) at Reston Town Center to build a research and development hub, which is expected to create 1,500 jobs and feature a new retail space.
The Washington Business Journal reported in November that Microsoft had reached a deal with Reston Town Center owner Boston Properties to expand its Sunset Hills office by 45,000 square feet in addition to the development facility plans.
While Microsoft didn’t move into Two Freedom Square this summer as initially expected, the company says its plans for a Reston Town Center expansion have not changed.
“Our expansion in Reston fulfills long-term business needs that we don’t anticipate shifting due to the current COVID-19 environment,” Microsoft said.
Facebook likewise confirmed that it still plans to set up a Reston office, even after announcing on Aug. 12 that U.S. employees won’t be required to return to offices until January.
Boston Properties shared in an earnings call on Oct. 31, 2019 that the social media giant had signed a lease for about 75,000 square feet of space at Reston Town Center, which beat out a Tysons office tower that was reportedly also under consideration.
The address of the new office wasn’t disclosed, but a permit issued by Fairfax County on March 17, 2020 indicated that Facebook will occupy the 10th floor of 1818 Library Street, which counts Carr Workplaces and the scientific consulting firm Metron as tenants.
More recently, Fairfax County issued a non-residential use permit to Facebook for the Reston Town Center space on July 8.
“We’re eager to continue expanding to support Facebook’s growing teams, and be a part of Reston’s vibrant community and strong business economy,” Facebook spokesperson Jamila Reeves said in a statement. “We always have our eye on new opportunities to support employees in the region.”
Facebook did not return follow-up inquiries about a move-in timeline and the number of employees that will work at the Reston office by press time.
Afghan Evacuees Tax Northern Virginia Hospitals — The recent influx of Afghanistan evacuees through Dulles International Airport has taken a toll on the region’s hospitals, leading to issues with keeping track of patients and rising costs. As of yesterday (Tuesday), Fairfax County has taken 219 Afghan patients to local hospitals and will ask the federal government to pay the estimated $300,000 in personnel and transportation costs that it has accrued so far. [The Washington Post]
Food Starts Reston Apartment Fire — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded to the 1800 block of St. Francis Street in Reston Town Center around 1 p.m. yesterday after getting reports of smoke issuing from the 16th floor of an apartment building. One person was checked for injuries from the fire, which appeared to have been started by food cooking on a stove. [Patch]
Deer Archery Program Returns This Weekend — “The Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program begins Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 and runs through Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022…The archery program began in FY 2010…to reduce and stabilize the white-tailed deer population in Fairfax County in efforts to minimize safety and health hazards and other impacts related to an overabundance of deer.” [Fairfax County Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fresh off relocating to a new headquarters, technology business and defense contractor Leidos is adding to its footprint in Reston.
The addition at 11929 Market Street is for an “agile software development factory and cyber operations training center,” the company told Reston Now.
“This continues our investments and growth in Reston/Fairfax County/VA and will bring added high-tech jobs to the area,” Tom Doheny, strategic communications and media relations director, said in a written statement.
Leidos says the move is intended to serve customers’ needs, develop products and services, and act as an annex to its recently completed headquarters at 1750 Presidents Street.
Building, electrical, plumbing, and gas inspections have occurred throughout July and August at the space for office improvements, which also involved an interior demolition permit that Fairfax County issued on Aug. 12.
“RTC’s commercial leasings have always defied, and continue to defy, gravity,” Reston Town Center Association Executive Director Robert Goudie said in a statement. “It speaks, I think, to the compelling live, work, visit proposition that we work so hard to continually extend and enhance. This is a place where leading companies want to be, and for good reason.”
The Fortune 500 company moved to its new headquarters at 17Fifty, a 17-story office building, in March 2020 after previously occupying 11951 Freedom Drive, also in Reston Town Center.
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) The seafood and steak chain McCormick & Schmick’s in Reston Town Center has closed.
Notices are posted on locked doors, its logo on the front facade has been removed, and the first floor of the building at 11920 Democracy Drive has been approved for interior demolition, according to a permit issued July 29.
“We are grateful for the support of the community,” signs on the restaurant say.
The news was first reported Thursday (Aug. 5) by The Burn, which noted that the restaurant had occupied that space for over 20 years.
A company phone number on McCormick & Schmick’s Facebook page leads to the chain’s Indianapolis location, and an employee there said the Reston location closed about a week ago. The Reston phone number is no longer working.
A customer who noticed the signs when passing by on Friday (Aug. 6) fondly recalled the restaurant’s deals with happy hours and $1 oyster specials.
The chain has nearby locations in Arlington’s Crystal City neighborhood (2010 Crystal Drive), D.C. (1652 K Street NW), and National Harbor, Maryland (145 National Plaza).
A media line for the Houston-based hospitality and entertainment company Landry’s, which owns McCormick & Schmick’s, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.
Landry’s also owns another steakhouse chain — Morton’s — that’s still operating nearby at 11956 Market Street in Reston Town Center.
Media representatives for Reston Town Center did not return messages seeking comment by press time.
This is the latest Reston Town Center restaurant to shutter during the COVID-19 pandemic, following Famous Toastery, Le Pain Quotidien, and Big Bowl, which had been there for nearly two decades when it closed in April 2020.
The Reston Town Center Association is among the five honorees selected by ArtsFairfax for its 2021 Arts Awards, an annual celebration of Fairfax County’s arts community.
ArtsFairfax, a nonprofit that has been designated as the county’s arts agency, announced the winners of this year’s awards on Tuesday (July 27).
“For ten years, our annual Arts Awards has recognized the creative visionaries who inspire us, engage us, and create transformational change in our communities,” ArtsFairfax President and CEO Linda S. Sullivan said in a press release. “This year’s honorees exemplify the impact that artists, arts and cultural organizations, and those that support them are making to the future of Fairfax County.”
In addition to marking their 10th anniversary, this year’s Arts Awards herald a return for both the awards themselves after they were canceled last year and local arts groups, which are tentatively starting to reemerge from the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Reston Town Center Association (RTCA) will receive the Arts Philanthropy Award, which “recognizes an individual, corporation, or foundation that has provided leadership funding or long-term monetary support to the arts,” according to ArtsFairfax.
A private nonprofit incorporated in 1988, RTCA says its mission is to “maintain a vibrant and viable downtown for the benefit of residents, employees, and visitors,” including by providing public arts, social, and civic events at Reston Town Center.
Since its founding, the association has maintained an Art Fund with revenue from its annual commercial property assessments to support public art and cultural programs, such as the summer Concerts on the Town and the annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, according to Arts Fairfax.
While the summer concerts were canceled for a second year in a row, RTCA is planning to bring back the Tephra Fine Arts Festival in September, and it is working with Herndon’s NextStop Theatre on a new Theater in the Park initiative expected to launch next spring.
“Supporting a strong cultural proposition is central to our mission,” RTCA Executive Director Robert Goudie said. “It is part of what we think differentiates Reston Town Center as a compelling destination. So we are very proud to receive this recognition, especially from an organization, ArtsFairfax, that is so important to the region’s arts scene.”
Goudie says RTCA shares the award with its partners, including Reston Community Center, Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, Public Art Reston, Washington West Film Festival, and Reston Town Center owner Boston Properties.
This year’s other honorees are:
- Jinx Hazel Award: National Museum of the United States Army
- Arts Impact Award: 1st Stage Theatre
- Arts Education Award: Traveling Players Ensemble
- Individual Arts Education Award: artist Kelli Schollard-Sincock, who volunteers as an art class teacher at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center
The 2021 ArtsFairfax Awards will hold a reception on Oct. 15 in The Atrium at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) in Tysons. Tickets are now available for purchase.
Photo via Reston Concerts on the Town/Facebook
Google Announces Vaccine Mandate — Google, which employs more than 420 people in Virginia, has extended its work-from-home policy through Oct. 18, but COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for workers who return to offices. A spokesperson told Reston Now that the pandemic has not affected the tech company’s real estate plans, which include an expansion at Reston Station. [CNBC/NBC4]
E-Scooters Spotted in Reston Town Center — At least 15 rentable, battery-powered Bird scooters have been set up in Reston Town Center as part of the company’s Fairfax County deployment. Restonian deems RTC “actually a decent place for these scooters” and looks forward to using them to “effortlessly scoot from the Apple Store to the former site of the Macaroni Grill to pay our #respects some day in the not-so-distant future.” [Restonian]
Taste of Reston Will Be “Reimagined” — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is turning its annual Taste of Reston food festival into a single-day event with reduced capacity that will unfold throughout Reston, rather than the usual multi-day affair at Reston Town Center. With more pressing issues weighing on patrons and restaurants due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a cancellation last year, the chamber feels “this is the time to reimagine how we produce future Taste of Reston events.” [Patch]
Herndon Police Chief Advocates for Mental Health Resources — As president of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police & Foundation, Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard joined other law enforcement and mental health professionals on Tuesday (July 27) to urge the state to allocate more resources to mental health services. She argued that police shouldn’t be tasked with handling mental health issues. [Patch]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
A new exhibit at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston is set to highlight how great art can still be created even in the midst of intense political and social upheaval.
The Reston Town Center-based local arts organization, which re-branded earlier this year from Greater Reston Arts Center, is debuting “3AM: Time Sensitive” next month, a collection of performance-based works from a Myanmar artist collective.
“There’s a lot that we can learn about how people express themselves, how people create art, and how people organize in their communities in the face of volatile political times,” says show curator Adriel Luis. “Often times what can be missed is how much we can learn about…these issues happening in the United States when we actually look at things from a global lens.”
The exhibit will feature three video-based works showing lived-in experiences of the artists, particularly the impact of globalization, political turmoil, and the complexities of queer life in Myanmar.
This is the first time that work of the three artists that make up 3AM — Ma Ei, Ko Latt, and Yadanar — is being shown in the United States. The exhibit at Tephra will run through early January 2022.
One piece, says Luis, features still images of the artists holding objects that are commonplace in Myanmar, some traditional and some clearly imported from the west.
“There are places in this world that are actively going through civil war, but yet art persists and people continue to express themselves,” Luis says.
The exhibit is in-person only at the moment, but the display will also be shown out the windows of Tephra’s gallery at 12001 Market Street for those who are not comfortable coming inside.
Despite a pandemic, Tephra has had several notable exhibits and displayed works over the last few months including Quantum Shift, which is still on display until August 7, as well a monolith sculpture that was erected in D.C. back in May.
Luis says he and Tephra as a whole made it a priority to work with international artists not only to grow as an institution, but also to provide a look into what’s going on in other parts of the world.
Luis, who is also a curator at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, says his career has been about bringing artists from across the world to local galleries and communities.
“The hope is to demonstrate how showing an international artist can actually resonate deeply within a local community, as opposed to sticking out like a sore thumb,” he says.
He believes Reston’s size will give community members a closer connection to the message that these artists are trying to make.
“There’s a lot of reasons why somewhere like Reston is so much more similar to the environment that these artists are used to than a bigger city like D.C.,” he says.
Under normal circumstances, the artists would be here to introduce and answer any questions about their work, but between the COVID-19 pandemic and upheaval in the wake of a military coup in Myanmar, that isn’t possible for 3AM. Luis and Tephra are still trying to figure out a way to have the artists be available for a conversation about their works.
Either way, the message that Luis hopes audiences take away from this, no matter the circumstances, is one that is universal.
“The message is ‘what does it mean to be true to ourselves?’,” Luis asks. “We’ll definitely see how it lands once it’s shown, but that’s the hope.”
Courtesy Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art
As the world awakens from its plague-induced slumber, Reston Town Center and a Herndon theater company have been conjuring the forms of things unknown and working to turn them into shapes.
The town center and NextStop Theatre Co. are collaborating on a new Theater in the Park initiative that will launch next spring with a production of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the amphitheater at Reston Town Square Park.
“We are very excited about it,” Reston Town Center Association executive director Robert Goudie said in an email, noting it will complement other programming, such as Sunday Art in the Park with the Shenandoah Conservatory and Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, Lunchtime with the Arts at Mason, and family entertainment on Saturday mornings.
Scheduled to run from April 29 to May 1, 2022, the initiative’s inaugural performances have been in the works since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back then, the RTCA, NextStop, and Reston Community Center envisioned staging a contemporary version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that families can enjoy.
“We all love the way this play can be interwoven with the audience, and the park amphitheater setting seemed the perfect forest,” Goudie wrote.
With the pandemic wiping out performance plans for fall 2020, organizers realized the outdoor setting could help provide a better environment for the show amid COVID-19 concerns. NextStop’s first indoor production with a live audience since the pandemic began premiered June 25.
“Theatres were one of the first types of businesses that had to close…and we are still only starting to crawl back,” said Evan Hoffmann, NextStop’s producing artistic director.
Hoffmann said the Reston Town Center project’s location and timing make the expected performance big, fun, and serendipitously exciting. Casting has not yet started, but the extended planning time is helping organizers get a head start.
The new initiative will kick off springtime cultural programming at Reston Town Center that typically includes the Tephra Fine Arts Festival in the third week of May, though it was rescheduled this year for Sept. 10-12. Last month, the town center held its first movie in the park.
“All of this reflects RTCA’s mission of, in part, supporting the arts (all consistent with Bob Simon‘s original vision for a completely community), something that we think helps differentiate Reston Town Center as a compelling destination,” Goudie wrote.
Photo via Google Maps
Approximately 470 people in Reston have lost natural gas services after Columbia Gas of Virginia’s main line pipe in Reston Town Center was damaged, the company says in an alert.
The outage is affecting customers near the intersection of Market Street and Saint Francis Street near the Midtown at Reston Town Center condominiums. The area had been shut down and some buildings evacuated earlier today (Friday) in response to a gas leak.
Columbia Gas spokesperson Russ Bedell told Reston Now that the leak was the result of damage to the gas main by a third-party contractor working for Reston Town Center.
“We were able to shut off the flow of gas, and the situation was made safe,” he said.
Customers in the area have been cut off from supplies while technicians work to repair the damaged line.
“Once repairs have been completed and service restored, Columbia Gas crews will go door-to-door to perform safety checks and relight natural gas appliances for all affected customers,” the company said.
Updated at 2:25 p.m. — The gas leak at Reston Town Center has now stopped after the gas company “clamped the line,” the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported at 1:20 p.m.
Updated at 12 p.m. — The gas leak situation at Reston Town Center is now stable, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says, though it is estimated that it will take the gas company a couple of hours to secure the leak.
No injuries have been reported, and examinations of buildings in the vicinity did not reveal any gas leaking into structures, according to the department.
Earlier: A gas leak possibly related to utility work at Reston Town Center prompted multiple buildings to be evacuated this morning (Friday), a tipster told Reston Now.
A Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson confirmed that units are currently on the scene in response to a gas leak involving a four-inch gas line.
The department has also confirmed that some buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
“Awaiting gas company to shut line down,” FCFRD said in a tweet. “Avoid area.”
Roads in the area of Market Street at the intersection with Explorer Street have been closed due to fire department activity, according to Fairfax Alerts. The alert says to “expect delays if traveling in the immediate area.”
Units on scene of a gas leak on Market Street at Explorer Street in Reston. Four-inch gas line involved. Some evacuations of buildings nearby as a pre-caution. Awaiting gas company to shut line down. Avoid area. #FCFRD #traffic pic.twitter.com/EuM3gx4VMF
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 25, 2021
David Taube contributed to this report.
It is officially summer, and with Virginia anticipating an end to its COVID-19-induced state of emergency, the next couple of months will bring an abundance of live music for Reston and Herndon residents to enjoy.
The season’s offerings will include the in-person returns of “Hunter Mill Melodies” and “Music at Arrowbrook Park,” two free outdoor concert series organized by the Fairfax County Park Authority for its 2021 Summer Entertainment Series.
Hunter Mill Melodies will be back at Herndon’s Frying Pan Farm Park with performances at Kidwell Farm (2709 West Ox Rd.) at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday in July and August.
Frying Pan will also host a children’s entertainment series at its visitor center pavilion (2739 West Ox Rd.) every Wednesday at 10 a.m. as part of the park authority’s Arts in the Park family-friendly series.
“This free entertainment series features a wide variety of musical acts from across the United States and from around the world,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said in a note. “The variety and quality of the acts is a reflection of Fairfax County’s diversity and community spirit, some of the many qualities that make this a wonderful place to call home.”
Music at Arrowbrook Park will bring eight free concerts to Arrowbrook Centre Park (2351 Field Point Rd.) in Herndon, covering a variety of genres, from folk to funk.
The full Hunter Mill Melodies and Music at Arrowbrook Park schedules are as follows:
Hunter Mill Melodies
- July 8: Phil Wiggins & Rick Franklin (Piedmont blues)
- July 15: Elena & Los Fulanos (Latin folk/rock)
- July 22: Nepalese Indian Cultural Nights (music of Nepal)
- July 29: Grupo Autoctono Tarkeada Virginia and Tradiciones Bolivianas (folkloric music and dance from Bolivia)
- August 5: Billy Coulter (roots rock, pop)
- August 12: Speidel, Goodrich, Goggin & Lille (rock)
- August 19: The United States Army Swamp Romp (jazz)
- August 26: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (bluegrass)
Arts in the Park
- July 7: 123 Andrés (children’s songs)
- July 14: Blue Sky Puppet Theater (puppets)
- July 21: Rocknoceros (children’s songs)
- August 11: Mr. Gabe & the Circle Time All-Stars (children’s songs)
- August 18: Fairfax Symphony Orchestra — Percussion Ensemble (children’s music)
Music at Arrowbrook Park
- July 10: The 19th Street Band (country rock)
- July 17: Scythian (Irish rock)
- July 24: High Noon (Southern rock)
- July 31: Daryl Davis (swing)
- August 7: Black Masala (funk/world)
- August 14: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (funk)
- August 21: Richard Phillips and Friends (folk, Appalachian blues)
- August 28: Eddie from Ohio (rockabilly)
The Fairfax County Park Authority announced on June 9 that its Summer Entertainment Series would return in person after going virtual last year.
According to the FCPA news release, the county started the initiative to create “a renewed sense of community” in the vein of small-town gatherings around bandstands in local town squares or parks. The performances are funded by private donations given to the Fairfax County Park Foundation.
For additional local live music options, community members can turn to the Reston Community Center, which launched multiple free summer concert series earlier this month, and Friday Night Live!, which will be back in the Town of Herndon starting July 2.
Reston Town Center, however, announced in April that it has canceled its Reston Concerts on the Town series for a second year in a row, citing the continued uncertainty at that time over whether Virginia would still have restrictions on large events over the summer.
Reston Concerts on the Town said that it had retained much of its planned lineup from 2020 and is now working to move those same artists to summer 2022.
“We miss you all and look forward to safely and joyously rocking out together in 2022!” the Facebook post said.
Hot Water Issues Return to Lake Anne Condos — “Ongoing lack of hot water is an issue again for nearly all condominium owners at the 27-unit, mixed-use Quayside building located at Lake Anne Village Center in Reston. Frustrated condo owners fear another four-month struggle, similar to Quayside’s first no-hot-water experience.” [Connection Newspapers]
Application for Development Near Herndon Border Rejected — The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted on June 15 to deny a rezoning application for a proposed housing development on a parcel along the W&OD Trail near the Fairfax County border and the historic Oak Grove Baptist Church. The rejection came after the applicant cut back on its proffers, including plans for an archaelogical survey and a commemorative sign. [Loudoun Now]
New Bicycle Racks Installed at Reston Town Center — The company Bikeep has installed new bicycle racks around Reston Town Center. With space available for five to nine bicycles at each station, the racks have no time limit or cost and are intended for short-term visitor parking, though the company plans to install lockers this summer “to provide long term parking for employees or more secure parking for visitors.” [Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling]
Longtime Herndon Teacher Retires — “Ann Godden moved to Herndon from Arlington more than 33 years ago and has been a staple part of the Herndon Elementary School community ever since…Godden is thankful for the school where she taught, and all four of her children ended up going to that school as well.” [Fairfax County Times]
Multicultural Festival Deadline Extended — “Calling all Vendors and Entertainers! Celebrate your roots with us at the 2021 Reston Multicultural Festival at Lake Anne Plaza on Sept. 25. The application deadline has been extended to June 25.” [Reston Community Center/Twitter]
Updated at 3:55 p.m. — The victims of this morning’s triple murder in Herndon’s Parkridge Gardens apartment complex were all members of the same family, Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard confirmed.
DeBoard said in a press conference at 3:30 p.m. that the man who died by apparent suicide earlier today in Reston made statements prior to his death that led the Fairfax County Police Department to contact the Herndon Police Department and request that they perform a welfare check in the 500 block of Florida Avenue.
A preliminary investigation and assistance from neighbors in the area led officers to a residence where they found the bodies of an adult and two children inside.
Police believe the individual who died by suicide in Reston “had a personal relationship with the adult victim,” DeBoard said.
DeBoard confirmed that there are no remaining public safety concerns, but police are awaiting results from the medical examiner’s office before sharing more information about how the homicide occurred.
She also said that the victims are not being identified yet, because police are still working to contact and interview next-of-kin, and there are no plans at this time to publicly name the juvenile victims.
“I think we will close this fairly quickly,” DeBoard said. “…We have to look at things like motive. We have to ensure that cause of death and all those things are determined without question, and we don’t want to release any of that information until we can put a finite answer on those questions.”
Earlier: An apparent triple homicide reported in Herndon this morning (Saturday) is suspected to be linked to a suicide in Reston, a Herndon Police Department spokesperson says.
A tipster alerted Reston Now that there was significant police activity in Reston Town Center around 8:30 a.m., reportedly after a man jumped off of a parking garage. Reston Now has reached out to the Fairfax County Police Department for confirmation.
According to HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon, Herndon police received a call from their Fairfax County counterparts at 7:30 a.m. about the suicide, leading officers to go to the 500 block of Florida Avenue for a wellness check.
One adult and two juveniles were then discovered deceased in the home. Herndon did not provide details on what led police to believe the two incidents are connected, but she said the scene in the home is “clearly a homicide.”
“There’s no threat to the community,” Herndon said.
A news conference is currently pending notification of the next of kin, which Herndon says is the father of the family.
