STAFFORD, Va. — Editor's Note: The video above references a separate Virginia shooting incident.
A Stafford man is in custody for murder after a shooting at a Red Roof Inn motel in the city. The 44-year-old surrendered to police while still on a FaceTime call with crisis negotiators.
Around 8:15 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting at the motel. They arrived to find a man shot in the chest in the parking lot at 386 Warrenton Road. The man was soon taken to a hospital, where he later died. He has since been identified as Leo Franklin, a 47-year-old Marylander.
The alleged shooter, now identified as George Pearson III, took off in a silver Toyota Tacoma after the shooting, still armed with a handgun, according to police. The Stafford County Sheriff's Office stated in a release that their deputies were able to get his identity and then reach him through a FaceTime call.
They went on to share that a member of their Crisis Negotiation Team joined the conversation and attempted to arrange a peaceful surrender, but the suspect refused to stop.
"The suspect indicated he would not be taken alive," the release stated.
Police then went on to put out a lookout for Pearson to other law enforcement agencies in Virginia, along with surrounding states. Around 11:30 a.m, Pearson stopped on an exit ramp from I-95 in Hanover County, where he agreed to peacefully surrender to authorities — still on the FaceTime call.
Pearson is now charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pearson was transported back to Stafford County and incarcerated without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.