Double Killing At House Party Leads To Conviction In Prince William County Court

DALE CITY, VA — A man was convicted in Prince William County court Tuesday on charges related to a November 2020 double homicide that injured two others, according to the Prince William Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney.

A jury found Karriem Jackson, 31, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, four counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and one count of maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied building. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5.

"Two people were slain in an act of premeditated killing at a house party, no different from any house party in our community," said Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth in a statement. "It has been five years, but justice has finally arrived for the families of Frank Sapele and Christopher Johnson."

On Nov. 1, 2020, Prince William County Police had responded to a shooting at a house party in the 3300 block of Bristol Court in Dale City. Officers found two victims with gunshot wounds, identified as Frank Sapele, 25, of Arlington, and Christopher Johnson, 24, of Alexandria, who died of their injuries. Two others, a 23-year-old man of Triangle and a 24-year-old woman of Fairfax, had serious injuries from the shooting.

Prosecutors say Jackson got into an argument with a resident at the home, pulled out a gun and hit the resident with it. Jackson was ordered to leave the party, but he then fired multiple rounds into the crowd.

Using cell phone data, police tracked Jackson to a townhouse community in Fairfax. The U.S. Marshals Task Force did surveillance on the home before arresting Jackson.