Man shot during ATM robbery dies

Nelson had stopped at the ATM on his way to work at 5:20 a.m., when he was approached by a robber. Although Nelson didn’t try to resist, the gunman, a young African-American man, inexplicably shot him in the chest. 

Nelson lay injured on the ground for about an hour before a passerby called 911. He was pronounced dead at 12:51 p.m. today.

Davis called on the shooter to turn himself in, urging him to “be a human, be a person, be a man.” 

Davis suspects the shooter has friends or family who know what he did. “I appeal to those folks who know the young man who committed this heinous, outrageous, atrocious act and took the life of a 73-year-old man.” 

“What we saw three days ago was most likely an unplanned attack” that “turned deadly,” said Maj. Ed O’Carroll, chief of the Major Crimes, Cyber, and Forensics Bureau.  

“This case has now transitioned to a full-fledged murder investigation,” O’Carroll said. This is the 19th murder in Fairfax County so far in 2021.

Related story: Police seek gunman who shot a 73-year-old man at an ATM

“This case is all about justice for Nelson, his son, his wife, his niece, the entire family, and our community,” he said. 

He was part of a large multigenerational, close-knit family, Davis said. Nelson, known by the nickname “Cootie Bird” in his family, has 10 siblings. 

O’Carroll urged community members to look at the security footage released by the police and to look at videos from their own security cameras. “We do believe this killer might have been involved in other crimes in the community,” he said.

According to Davis, “numerous tips have come in.” 

“I am confident we will identify this young man but we do need the community’s help,” O’Carroll said. Anyone with information should call the Major Crimes Bureau, 703-246-7800, the police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131, or Crime Solvers, 1-866,411-TIPS. 

“If you know where the killer is right now, call 911,” he said.

To the killer, O’Carroll said, “if something happened off-screen that you want to explain, we will listen to your story. Surrender on your terms or be arrested on ours.”