Alexandria police seek witnesses to homicide at BJ’s

BJ’s Wholesale Club on S. Van Dorn Street.

The Alexandria Police Department is seeking witnesses to a homicide that occurred Sept. 25 at BJ’s Wholesale Club at 101 S. Van Dorn St. in the Landmark area. 

Officers were called at approximately 7:45 p.m. for reports of a stabbing inside the store and found an adult male with trauma to the upper body. Officers and paramedics attempted life-saving efforts, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was identified as Abiy Zemene, 29, from Silver Spring, Md. The suspect, Rakibul Fakir, 33, of Alexandria, was charged with second-degree murder.

Fakir remained at the scene until police arrived and was taken into custody without incident. He and Zemene knew one another. 

Alexandria police put out a notice Oct. 8 asking anyone who was in BJ’s between 7 and 8 p.m. on Sept. 25 and witnessed the incident to contact Det. Christine Escobar, at 703-746-6819, [email protected]. 

The police urge witnesses to come forward “even if you are unsure whether what you saw and/or heard is significant. No detail is too small to be considered.”