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Gunman who killed 2 at 2020 Halloween party in Dale City sentenced to 143 years

The man convicted of murdering two people at a Halloween party in Dale City, Virginia, in 2020 will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Karriem Jackson, now 31, was found guilty last summer of fatally shooting 24-year-old Christopher Alan Johnson and 25-year-old Frank Chineji Sapele. The shooting happened in the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 2020, at a house party in Dale City. Two other people were seriously injured.

Jackson was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and several weapons violations.

Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Robert Coleman sentenced Jackson last week to 198 years in prison with 55 years suspended — effectively 143 years behind bars.

“It is a tragedy that two lives were ended in a senseless act of gun violence. While the sentence imposed today cannot bring the victims back, it does send a clear message that this kind of violent criminal behavior will not be tolerated in our community,” Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth said.

According to Ashworth’s office, Jackson got into an argument at the party with someone who lived at the home, which escalated into a physical fight during which Jackson pistol whipped the individual. Jackson was told to leave, at which point he fired multiple rounds into the crowd, killing Johnson and Sapele and seriously injuring two other partygoers.

After nearly 50 years, Dale City Music is closing

After nearly five decades serving musicians, students and families from the same Dale Boulevard location, Dale City Music is preparing to close its doors, ending a 48-year run as a locally owned music store and community resource, according to multiple sources. The store, at 4367 Dale Blvd., is slated to close July 31. An employee, Adren Harris, told InsideNoVa the owners decided to shut down amid rising commercial rents and concerns about taking on unsustainable debt. “Our last day of normal business will be this Friday,” Harris said. Harris said the store’s owners determined closing was preferable to continuing under increasingly difficult financial conditions.
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