18-year-old killed, juvenile shot in same area of Alexandria following separate fights

18-year-old stabbed to death after fight in Alexandria

FOX 5's David Kaplan reports on the investigation into the death of an 18-year-old boy who police say was stabbed to death after an alleged fight in a shopping center parking lot in Alexandria, Virginia.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Alexandria Police are continuing their investigation into a stabbing at the Bradlee Center shopping center that left an 18-year-old dead on Tuesday following a fight. Back in September, a juvenile was shot in the same location on King Street also after a fight.

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Officials say 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez, an Alexandria City High School student, was stabbed during a fight in the 3600 block of King Street on Tuesday.

HS senior fatally stabbed during fight

An all-out melee led to the stabbing death of an 18-year-old Alexandria City High School student on King Street. FOX 5's Perris Jones reports.

In September 2021, a juvenile was shot following an altercation in the same location. The shooting was not fatal.

Alexandria Police say they keep a presence in the area when school dismisses, but a spokesman indicated the department may not have a cruiser at the center every single day.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Juvenile shot following fight in Alexandria, police say

One Alexandria resident says she was nearby when the fight involving as many as 50 kids started.

"I just think it’s horrible," says Karen Dadey. "Like, I just think it’s really unfortunate that people aren’t valuing life anymore. You see it on the news all the time. You see it in the movies and in the media, and it just makes me sad that it’s become normalized in our society."

Alexandria Police say they're still looking for witnesses and more information to put together their case. There have been no arrests at this time.

"That’s why we’re doing everything we can to be thorough and make sure we do bring justice to anybody and everybody who was involved," says Marcel Bennett of the Alexandria Police.

ACPS had a virtual school day on Wednesday to allow for grieving, according to the principal.

FOX 5 asked Alexandria City Schools about the fatal stabbing and what, if anything, may have led to it or could have prevented it. They declined our request for an interview "to focus on the social-emotional needs of the staff."

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A GoFundMe page to pay for Hernandez' funeral expenses was created overnight and has already surpassed its $10,000 goal.