The suspected gunman fled the United Rentals facility before authorities located him more than 100 miles away on Interstate 81.
MANASSAS, Va. — Two employees were killed and a third was wounded Sept. 30 after a co-worker opened fire at a United Rentals facility in Manassas, police said. The suspected shooter fled before officers arrived and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a standoff with Virginia State Police.
Manassas City police identified the suspected shooter as Marvin Grant, 37, of Charlotte, North Carolina. Police said Grant worked at the equipment rental business at 9415 Wellington Road. Investigators had not established a motive as of Oct. 1 and were continuing to examine what happened before the gunfire. Police said the surviving victim was hospitalized in stable condition and was expected to survive.
Police received the first report of the shooting at 7:11 a.m. Officers from the Manassas City Police Department and Prince William County Sheriff’s Office arrived about three minutes later and found three wounded employees. Officers provided emergency medical aid before the victims were taken to hospitals. Two of the men later died from their injuries.
Manassas police identified those killed as Ricky Lamot, 48, and Christopher Serrano, 33, according to local reporting that cited the department. The Associated Press identified the 48-year-old victim as Richard Lamont, while United Rentals’ own Manassas branch listings identified its manager as Ricky Lamot. The differing name forms appeared in published reports after the shooting. The wounded employee had not been publicly identified in the latest reports reviewed.
Manassas Police Chief Douglas Keen said investigators believe an altercation took place before the shooting. Keen said Grant arrived at work and told another employee that three people were going to die before producing a handgun and firing at three co-workers. Authorities have not said what prompted the confrontation or established a motive. About eight employees were believed to have been at the facility when the shooting occurred, according to reporting from the scene.
Grant left the business before officers arrived, police said. Investigators began tracking his cellphone and determined that he was moving south toward the Harrisonburg area. Virginia State Police were alerted as authorities searched for him. The search prompted warnings in Manassas while Grant’s location was unknown, and nearby Jennie Dean Elementary School was placed under heightened security precautions. Those restrictions were later lifted after police determined he had left the area.
Virginia State Police said a trooper spotted Grant’s vehicle traveling south on Interstate 81 near mile marker 235 in Augusta County. Grant entered a rest area near mile marker 232, where troopers tried to stop him. Police said he briefly left the vehicle, returned to it and continued south, leading troopers on a pursuit before stopping again near mile marker 227.
State police said Grant got out of the vehicle while armed, prompting authorities to call a tactical team and negotiator. At about 10:30 a.m., Grant suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the agency. He was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Virginia State Police said troopers did not use force during the encounter. The law enforcement response temporarily disrupted traffic along Interstate 81.
Keen said Lamot was someone he knew personally through youth football. The Washington Post reported that Keen described Lamot as a devoted family man. United Rentals’ website listed Ricky Lamot as manager of its Wellington Road location as well as another company branch in Manassas. Serrano was also identified by police as an employee killed in the attack.
United Rentals said it was cooperating with law enforcement and supporting workers affected by the shooting. Investigators were expected to review surveillance video and other evidence from inside the business as they worked to determine the sequence of events before the attack. Authorities had not announced evidence establishing why Grant targeted the three employees.
The Manassas investigation remained active Oct. 1, with police still examining the circumstances that led to the workplace shooting. The surviving employee remained reported in stable condition, while Virginia State Police continued their review of the pursuit and standoff in Augusta County.
Author note: Last updated October 1, 2026.