Deadly Shootout Victim Was Downtown Fredericksburg Merchant: Report

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Kenneth Bonanno, the man killed early Monday morning during a shootout with police, had been a longtime downtown Fredericksburg merchant.

According to the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star, Bonanno, 67, of Stafford, ran Bonanno's Antiques for nearly 40 years before the store, at 619 Caroline Street, closed in 2010.

Former Fredericksburg Mayor Bill Beck told the Free-Lance Star that Bonanno is internationally known in the gemology field.

"He was pretty knowledgeable in jewelry and watches, that sort of thing,” Beck said. “In recent years, we have just kind of seen Kenny driving around town in his classic Mercedes.”

Stafford County police were called to the scene around 2 a.m. regarding a car crash on Cool Springs Road near Kings Highway. The caller said a vehicle had been traveling south at a high rate of speed before jumping the median and coming to a stop on the side of the road.

After arriving, police found the vehicle empty, but soon noticed a man holding a handgun standing on the side of the road. The man, Bonanno, reportedly fired at the deputies, who returned fire, killing him, according to a Sheriff's Office statement.

Written by Skip Wood