STAFFORD, Va. – A quiet Stafford neighborhood was shaken Tuesday when a 35-year-old man, Michael Dodge II, was shot and killed while working at a home on Mountain View Drive.
Stafford County deputies said the first alert came from Dodge’s coworker, who was on the phone with him at the time. The caller reported hearing gunshots and then losing contact with Dodge, immediately prompting a 911 call.
“When deputies arrived, they found Mr. Dodge lying unresponsive in the driveway,” officials said. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly led deputies to a man inside the home. Following a brief standoff, Donald Thomas, 39, was arrested. Investigators said Thomas had been staying at the home and fired multiple shots at Dodge. Thomas now faces charges of first-degree murder and unlawfully shooting or wounding in the commission of a felony and is being held without bond.
At this time, authorities have not released a motive for the shooting. Deputies continue to investigate the events leading up to the tragic incident.
Friends and neighbors expressed shock and sadness over Dodge’s death. “It’s hard to comprehend something like this happening in our neighborhood,” one neighbor said. “He was a kind person and a dedicated worker. Our thoughts are with his family.”
Michael Dodge II is remembered by those who knew him as someone committed to his work and valued by his colleagues. The Stafford community is left grappling with a sudden and heartbreaking loss