The City of Manassas and Historic Manassas Inc. have canceled the final 2026 First Friday after considering community feedback. The decision follows the Sept. 4 shooting during the packed downtown event that killed 16-year-old Patriot High School student Ashley Intihar, an uninvolved bystander, near the train depot.
Police said gunfire broke out about 9:30 p.m. amid roughly 10,000 people. Xavier Wanzer, 19, of Orange, approached Tasheem Rashad Douglas, 21, over a prior conflict. Douglas, a convicted felon already out on bond, fired and struck Intihar. Wanzer and Talib Davis, 23, of Fauquier County, returned fire. Douglas faces second-degree murder and firearms charges. Wanzer and Davis face malicious wounding and firearms charges. All three are held without bond. The organizations will focus the rest of the year on fall and winter seasonal events instead, and residents can share feedback on First Fridays for 2027 through a questionnaire.
