Earlier Friday, a family acquaintance entered the home of a 32-year-old website creator in Fairfax, Va., and shot him multiple times as he slept, police announced Wednesday when the arrest was made express.
Gret Glyer, the founder and CEO of a fundraising website, was killed just before 3 a.m. while lying with his wife in their home in the 9800 block of Bolton Village Court Police Station. They said Glyer’s wife and two children were not injured by the gunman, who left the home immediately after the shooting.
At a news conference Wednesday, authorities said they had arrested Joshua Danehower, 33, of Arlington, and charged him with second-degree murder and felony use of a firearm. Fairfax Police Chief Jeffrey Hunt declined to comment on a possible motive for the shooting, describing Dann Hall only as a “family acquaintance.”
Dan Howell, who is being held at the Fairfax County Jail, was scheduled to appear in Fairfax County District Court on Wednesday for an arraignment, according to online records. No lawyer is listed for him. Authorities said he worked for FedEx at Dulles International Airport, where he was detained Tuesday after investigators received a warrant.
“He fired several shots at Mr. Glyer while he was sleeping,” Hunter told reporters. “The investigation also revealed that Mr. Glare’s wife was asleep and lying on the bed next to him at the time of the shooting.” Hunt added, “We have no reason to believe that Mr. Danny Howell was cooperating with anyone. It appears he was alone in the murder.”
Glyer is the creator of the DonorSee website, which bills itself as a “giving platform” that allows donors to “donate directly to those in need” and to poverty alleviation projects around the world, then “get video updates showing your performance.”
DonorSee’s interim CEO, Owen O’Doherty, said in an interview Wednesday that he did not know Danehower and that Danehower was not affiliated with the site. O’Doherty said he and his colleagues “remain very shocked and deeply saddened” by the shooting. He called Glyer “an inspiring leader and an amazing person.”
During the investigation, Hunter said, “we conducted interviews and someone came forward and told us that Mr. Dann Hower was a possible suspect”, which culminated in his arrest. Asked about possible motives, Hunter said: “We are still investigating. We are in the early stages of our investigation. There are still things we need to pursue. So it will take some time.”
Hunt said detectives searched Dann Howell’s home and vehicle on Tuesday night. He declined to comment on the evidence collected, including whether a gun was found.
