Virasith

The man charged with murdering his ex-wife’s boyfriend, and attempting to murder his ex-wife, has a history of domestic violence allegations filed against him.

Police say Melissa Virasith, 40, was hit with two bullets outside her apartment fired by her ex-husband Koummane Virasith shortly before midnight April 10.

Thomas John Saunders, 38, of Lexington Park, was also shot twice in the parking lot of St. Mary's Landing apartments, once in the head. He died from the wounds early the next morning.

Melissa Virasith and Saunders were living together in the apartment, and Melissa and Koummane’s three children were inside when the shooting took place.

Koummane called 911 and told police he shot his wife and her boyfriend. Police immediately learned there were multiple shots fired and multiple victims, and numerous volunteer ambulance crews were initially dispatched.

Upon their arrival they found the two victims suffering from gunshot wounds outside the apartment building. Koummane, 39, also was outside, and immediately taken into custody by police.

A woman who lives in a neighboring apartment told The Bay Net on the scene that she was outside during the shooting.

“I saw a car that kept driving around and around the apartments, then it finally stopped.” Then the witness says she heard four quick shots, and another single shot about 30 seconds after.

The witness saw a man, whom she described as small and white, quickly shoved into the back of one of the first police cars on the scene.

	Saunders

St. Mary’s District Court records indicate Melissa Virasith filed a domestic violence civil action seeking protection from Koummane on June 26, 2003, and again this year on March 22.

At an Interim Hearing on March 26, District Court Judge John F. Slade III denied the requests. Court records indicate “This order is denied because: There is no statutory basis for relief.”

Koummane Virasith was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. He was incarcerated in the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.

Detectives also made public the fact that the murdered man was a registered sex offender in Maryland, with a prior conviction for a third-degree sex offense.

BCI Commander Lt. Rick Burris, reports the investigation is continuing.

Police and volunteer rescue squad ambulances swarmed to the scene on Liberty Street. Police promptly took the suspect into custody upon arrival.

In less than five minutes, medical personnel were on the scene and immediately began treating the two victims, who had been struck by several small-caliber bullets.

One of the victims is a 38-year-old male, with gunshots to the head and possibly the chest. The female victim was conscious and talking to medical personnel on the scene. The woman was screaming and wailing while being treated by medics. She was reported to have been shot in the shoulder area and in the back.

A woman who lives within view of the scene told The Bay Net that she was outside of her apartment before the shooting.

“I saw a car that kept driving around and around the apartments, then it finally stopped.” Then the witness says she heard four quick shots, and another single shot about 30 seconds after.

A small-built white man was quickly shoved into the back of one of the first police cars on the scene, the witness said.

At 12:30 a.m., Maryland State Police helicopter Trooper 2 landed in the grass near the intersection of Liberty Street and Pegg Road to take the first victim to Prince George’s shock trauma center. At 12:36 a.m., Trooper 7 landed nearby for the second victim.

The incident was dispatched as involving multiple gunshot victims, and numerous volunteer rescue squads were called to respond, including at least one from Calvert County. After a few minutes on the scene, additional rescue squads not already on the scene were sent back to quarters.

St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations detectives responded, and all traffic leading to the large, well-lit crime scene was blocked off.

The scene is one and a half miles from Gate 2 of Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Liberty Street in Lexington Park begins at Pegg Road and ends at Pacific Drive, which connects to Great Mills Road.

Maryland State Police emergency helicopters were swamped with calls on Thursday night. In the hours leading up to the double-shooting in Lexington Park, Trooper 7 ran three nearly back-to-back flights from St. Mary’s County to PG County and DC hospitals.

Additional emergency flights included: a 4-year-old to Children’s Medical Center for a traumatic injury to the head; a 17-year-old male to PG County Hospital after a head-on crash with an STS bus; and a female was flown to PG this evening after a motorcycle wreck on Joy Chapel Road.

See slideshow below for pictures from the murder scene.

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