One young man is dead, and another was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, after a shooting last Wednesday, May 15, in Centreville. Fairfax County police do not believe this was a random act and have initially attributed it to a drug deal gone bad.

Killed was Michael Alcantara, 18, of Manassas, and arrested for his murder was Hassan Kanu, 18, of Centreville. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Centre Lee Business Park along Route 29. This location contains a popular Dunkin’ Donuts shop, is near the busy Stone Road intersection and is next to a Sunoco gas station.

After receiving a call that morning around 9:30 a.m. about shots being fired there, police responded at 9:35 a.m. to the 14600 block of Route 29. There, they discovered Alcantara suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body. Officers quickly attempted lifesaving measures, but Alcantara was declared dead at the scene. 

In addition, police found Kanu, who had also sustained gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was then hospitalized for treatment of serious injuries that were initially considered life-threatening. He was released from the hospital on Sunday and is now being held without bond in the Adult Detention Center, pending his Sept. 3 court date.

Detectives determined that both teenagers had been inside a car together, prior to the shooting, and apparently had some type of altercation. After that, police say they both left the vehicle and then exchanged gunfire with one another, resulting in both of them being shot.

In a press conference not long afterward, Police Capt. Kent Bailey addressed the media, across the highway from the scene. “First and foremost, our community is safe – there’s no threat to the public,” he said. “All individuals involved in this incident are accounted for.”

He described the site as an “active, commercial shopping center,” but he didn’t know how busy it was at the time of the shooting, nor why the teens chose this parking lot for their encounter. And he couldn’t say whether anyone else had been in the car with them before their argument and subsequent shootout. Bailey said it was among the many elements that were still under investigation.

Police charged Kanu with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. If convicted of the murder charge, he could receive anywhere from five to 40 years in prison. The gun offense carries a mandatory three-year sentence.

In a relatively safe area, Centreville’s biggest crimes are usually thefts from vehicles. So to have a murder happen here – and in broad daylight – is definitely out of the norm. Indeed, there hasn’t been a homicide in Centreville since February 2022.

As for this one, detectives located two firearms, as well as drugs, at the scene. Bailey said the weapons belonged to the two people involved, but he did not identify what types of drugs were found. However, he did say, “Preliminarily, detectives have discovered that this could possibly be an illegal narcotics transaction.”

Police are still investigating the circumstances that led up to the shooting and are asking the nearby community to review any home-surveillance footage that might assist them in piecing together what happened that morning before the fatality occurred.

Anyone with information about this event or who may have witnessed it is asked to call the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 5. Tips may also be submitted anonymously via Crime Solvers by phoning 703-246-4676 or going to http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org/.