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Asia Payne, 22, and Leann Harris, 34, were believed to have been shot by Edward James Jackson Bland, 36, who then stole a vehicle at gunpoint and drove the car until it broke down on Tuesday, April 2, as previously reported by Daily Voice.
"Asia was highly intelligent, an artist, and a kind young woman," reads the campaign launched by Angela Payne. "She was a social butterfly that loved everyone and was loved by all. To lose her at such a young age is one of the most devastating acts a mother can fathom."
The campaign goes on to say Asia was "gunned down while innocently visiting friends. The family is absolutely devastated by her untimely passing and are not prepared to cover funeral expenses."
In 2023, Asia's mother "exhausted her funds" burying Asia's grandfather, it says.
Sometime before then, Bland is believed to have shot and killed Harris and Payne, whose bodies were found in a nearby home hours later, when the stolen vehicle broke down near I-66 and I-81, authorities said.
Bland walked to a nearby convenience store where authorities were notified, and the vehicle he was driving was confirmed as stolen from Prince William County.
During the investigation, additional information was obtained, prompting police to perform a welfare check at an apartment on Porter Ridge Lane in Manassas. There, officers made several attempts for someone to answer the door and subsequently broke into the apartment where the two victims were found dead from gunshot wounds to the upper body, county police said.
Bland knew both victims, who also knew each other, police said.
Following the investigation, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Bland, who remains in custody in Shenandoah County. Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident to determine what led up to the shooting and are seeking to speak with anyone who has information to aid in the investigation.
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