Article Text
Fairfax County police arrested a 19-year-old Alexandria resident after a shooting in Groveton on July 28 left a man hospitalized with an upper-body gunshot wound and in life-threatening condition.
Officers responded at approximately 7:04 p.m. to the 7200 block of Fairchild Drive, where they found the wounded man. Officers assisted him until Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department personnel arrived. He was transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition and remained hospitalized as of July 31.
Rusbel Alberto Argueta was arrested shortly after the shooting. He faces three felony charges: malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of an elementary school. The shooting location is approximately a four-minute walk from Hybla Valley Elementary School.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, “Preliminarily, detectives determined the victim and the suspect were involved in a verbal argument when the shooting occurred.” Police reported finding a gun near the scene.
A second unidentified person was charged with being drunk in public.
Malicious wounding is a Class 3 felony that can result in five to 20 years in prison upon conviction. Court records cited by FFXnow list Argueta’s preliminary hearing in Fairfax County General District Court for September 29, 2026.