Two women injured in shooting at Virginia day care center, police say
Two women were hospitalized after a man shot through the front door of a Virginia day care center on Wednesday, officials said.
Fairfax County Police announced late Wednesday afternoon that they arrested Julio Pascual Sejas, 41, after an hourslong manhunt in connection to the shooting at West Springfield KinderCare in Springfield, Virginia.
At a press conference, Fairfax County Deputy Chief of Police for Investigations Brooke Wright said they received a call about the shooting shortly after 2 p.m.
“I’m so relieved that kids were not harmed today,” Wright said.
Police said this was a domestic incident, and the roughly 70 children who were in the day care were not injured.
“The children were not within sight of this event,” Wright said. “It doesn’t appear that any of the kids have any indication that anything even happened here today. They were jovial. They were taken out side doors. They didn’t even see, or appear to see, the broken front door.”
Women hospitalized with 'non-life-threatening injuries'
Wright said Sejas approached the day care and tried to speak to his wife but she did not let him in. He then pulled out a pistol and shot three rounds through the door, which struck her and a co-worker, Wright said.
The two women were transported to a hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries," police said.
Officials announced that Sejas had been found and arrested at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Wright said police obtained warrants charging Sejas with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and three counts of shooting into a school building.
In a statement to USA TODAY, KinderCare Learning Companies said the facility will remain closed until at least the end of the week.
“We’re heartbroken that a violent man came to our center and shot two of our teachers. Our thoughts are with the two teachers who were hurt, and with their families. We understand the teachers are in stable condition, and we’re grateful for that news,” KinderCare said in the statement. “We’re also relieved that no children witnessed this violence, nor were any children hurt.”