Reginald Tolliver III, Gang-Related Studio Shooting, VA 2019

Reginald Tolliver III, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for a daylight gang shootout at a recording studio in Alexandria on July 2, 2019. Tolliver, a previously convicted felon, fired a SigSauer semi-automatic pistol during the violent confrontation, escalating a criminal dispute into a public street war that left him and an associate wounded by gunfire.

Surveillance footage shows two masked individuals exiting a vehicle and opening fire on a car occupied by Tolliver and others. In response, Tolliver returned fire with his illegally possessed firearm before police arrived. The exchange of gunfire occurred in broad daylight, turning a commercial recording studio parking lot into a warzone and endangering bystanders. Tolliver was later apprehended at the scene, bleeding from gunshot wounds.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, condemned the incident as a reckless endangerment of public safety. “A convicted felon in possession of a firearm poses a serious danger to the safety of our communities,” Terwilliger said. Tolliver’s criminal history includes assault and battery, as well as narcotics distribution charges, marking a pattern of escalating violence.

The case was prosecuted under Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative targeting illegal gun use and violent crime. The program strengthens coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement, prioritizes prosecution of high-risk offenders, and enhances tracking of prohibited individuals attempting to buy firearms. This case underscores the DOJ’s push to dismantle armed gang activity before it spills further into civilian spaces.

Tolliver’s sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict, collaborated with the Fairfax County Police Department, led by Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., to build the case using video evidence, ballistic analysis, and witness testimony.

Court documents and related records are available through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER under Case No. 1:19-cr-374. This conviction sends a clear message: federal authorities are cracking down on armed gang violence, especially when it threatens innocent lives in public spaces. The Grimy Times will continue tracking the fallout from this case and others like it across the federal docket.