FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — A 19-year-old man was shot and killed while attempting to break up a fight at a bonfire party over the weekend, leading to the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect, authorities said.
The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday near the Hunting Run Reservoir, where a large group of teenagers had gathered for a bonfire on county-owned property. Authorities said the group was trespassing when a fight broke out.
Christian Archen Whalen, 19, was shot in the lower extremity while trying to intervene in the altercation, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies arrived at Spotswood Furnace Road and immediately began life-saving measures. A deputy transported Whalen to a rescue squad in his cruiser, but despite being rushed to a local hospital, Whalen succumbed to his injuries.
Witnesses at the scene identified 18-year-old Kenneth Watson as the shooter, though it remains unclear what led to the fight and subsequent gunfire. Investigators have not yet determined whether Watson and Whalen knew each other prior to the incident.
Watson was arrested and booked into the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. He faces charges of homicide and firearm violations as the investigation continues.
Whalen’s death has left his family, including his 16-year-old girlfriend and father, devastated, authorities said.
