More than a dozen people described by US immigration authorities as being unlawfully present in the country were arrested after a fatal shooting at a quinceañera in Catlett, Virginia, the Department of Homeland Security has said.
The arrests were made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after local law enforcement requested assistance during the response to the shooting on 8 August, according to the agency.
Sixteen-year-old Samuel Ojeda, from Triangle, Virginia, was killed during the outdoor celebration at a property on Bowery Lane in Fauquier County. Deputies found him suffering from gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities had initially been called to the rural property at about 9.30pm following complaints about noise and reports of gunfire. More than 100 people were attending the event, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they heard continuing gunfire while trying to establish where it was coming from. As they prepared to leave the site, they saw an altercation involving several people and heard another shot, after which Ojeda was found injured.
ICE arrests after Fauquier County shooting
ICE said it arrested more than a dozen people during the law enforcement operation and was processing them for alleged violations of US immigration law.
The agency said some of those detained had charges or convictions including illegal re-entry, identity theft and driving under the influence. It did not say that those individuals were accused of involvement in Ojeda’s death.
The Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office said it had requested support from local and federal law enforcement agencies because of the size of the crowd, allowing deputies to focus on the homicide investigation.
“We cooperate with all of our federal partners,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. It added that ICE was responsible for immigration matters while the sheriff’s office remained responsible for public safety and protection of residents.
A 17-year-old from Dumfries was arrested four days after the shooting and charged with second-degree murder through a juvenile petition. His name has not been released because of his age, and he is being held at a juvenile detention centre in Loudoun County.
Police have not disclosed what led to the altercation or identified a motive. The homicide investigation remains ongoing.
