Michael William Dodge II, 35, fatally shot in Fredericksburg, Virginia

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Fredericksburg Contractor Fatally Shot While Securing Foreclosed Home

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (DailyKenn.com) — A 35-year-old property contractor was shot and killed Tuesday while attempting to resecure a foreclosed home in northern Virginia, prompting a brief standoff before the arrest of a 64-year-old suspect on first-degree murder charges.

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Michael William Dodge II, of Caroline County, was working for a mortgage company on the 600 block of Mountain View Road in Stafford County when the shooting occurred around 3 p.m. Dodge had been dispatched to change the locks and make minor repairs at the vacant property, according to his father, Michael William Dodge. The younger Dodge, born March 5, 1990, was described by family members as friendly and hardworking, someone who "never met a stranger."

Dodge was on the phone with a coworker at the time of the incident. After hearing gunshots, his colleagues called 911. Deputies from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office arrived to find Dodge unresponsive in the home's driveway, where he was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

The suspect, identified as Donald Thomas, 64, had been staying inside the residence despite its status as abandoned, authorities said. Thomas barricaded himself briefly, leading to a tense standoff resolved without further violence. He was taken into custody at Rappahannock Regional Jail and charged with first-degree murder and malicious wounding in the commission of a felony. No bond was set, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Dodge's parents, Michael William Dodge and Lea Dodge, expressed profound grief and disbelief in interviews following the shooting. "You killed my son for nothing," Lea Dodge said, addressing Thomas directly. His father added that the act had "destroyed a lot of people," emphasizing the senselessness of the violence during a routine job.

The incident has drawn attention to the risks faced by contractors handling foreclosed properties, though officials have not released details on Thomas' relationship to the home or any prior disputes. Dodge's obituary, published shortly after his death, noted his life cut short on Oct. 21, 2025. Funeral services were handled by Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home.

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