Evening star., 1952-11-02
Fairfax Police
Crack Down on
Armed Guards
Action Follows
Fatal Shooting Of
High School Senior


The fatal shooting Of a teen-age
Halloween celebrater in Fairfax
County has aroused county police
to crack down on watchmen who
carry guns.
Howard Strang. II, a Fairfax
High School senior. was killed
Friday night.
John N. Iorizzo, 26, q guard at
Lake Bancroft Estates. Inc, was
charged with murder. It was his
|gun that fred the slug that felled
the boy. He was released under
$4,000 bond yesterday.
Fairfax Police Chief Carl McIn-
tosh said the Lake Bancroft guard
wasn't q special policeman and
wasn't authorized to carry arms.
THE chief said his officers would
investigate cases Of other watch
Imen who aren't bonded and
haven't been sworn in as special
lpolice. II any are found carrying
guns-or even wearing uniforms
and badges-they'll have to take
them of. IF they don't, they'll
be arrested for impersonating off,
GERS, he said.
On Halloween Party.
The Strang boy. who lived on
Route 236 between Annandale and
Fairfax. was one of nine Fairfax
High pupils who went on a Hal
loween party in the subdivision
where 1orizzo was on duty.
The victims companions said
they had attended a party Friday
might but left it about 8 o'clock to
visit q girl in Lakewood, adjacent
Ito the Lake Bancroft subdivision.
The girl wasn't at home. So
they decided to 60 to the Lake
Bancroft site and play Halloween
lpranks. They were returning to
their parked cars. they said. when
they heard a dog bark. Then there
was q whistle. they said. and then
la shot. They scattered.
1orizzo said he heard a dog bark
near the lake shore and went to
Investigate. He said he saw some
one running.
II didn't notice the boys doing
anything wrong. but knew they
didn't belong there. I hollered at
them to stop. They kept on run
ming. 7 shot. I was just trying
to scare them," he told police.
(The boys said they didn't hear
|any shouts.)
Called Rescue Squad.
He said he didn't know he had
hit any one until. chasing them,
he discovered the boy on the
ground. Iorizzo called the AMMAN
dale Rescue squad but the youth
died before he reached the hospi-
|tal.
The distance between where the
guard said he was standing when
he fired and the place where the
boy fell was $50 feet. The place
he said he fired from is about %
feet higher than where the boy
was hit.
Iorizzo used a AS caliber pistol.
Fairfax police said they are work.
ing on tests to find out whether
the bullet could hit the boy from
that distance.
Police said the slug hit between
the boys shoulder blades and
passed almost through his chest.
Iorizzo, who lives at 3214 Duke
street, Alexandria. served five
years in the infantry and served
in Europe and the Pacific. He is
married. He has no children.
He was wearing a blue uniform
with cap like those police wear,
and he had a badge reading
Special Policeman, D. c." (Dis-
trict authorities said such badges
are easy to buy but that they're
not authorized emblems.)
Setup Explained.
The Fairfax police chief said a
special officer is sworn in in court
and employed directly by police,
under a contract between the
county and the officers employer.
Chief Mcintosh said Iorizzo's
employers have one such special
Iof6cer-who wasn't on duty Hal
Ilaween highland that the sub
divisions officials had asked about
employing seven or eight, but
never signed a contract to do so.
Most building guards and night
watchmen in the District are
sworn in as special officers. They
can carry guns on duty, but not
of duty. The few who aren't
sworn in, aren't allowed to carry
weapons.
In Prince Georges County,
guards on private property don't
have to be sworn in before carry
ing arms, as long as they carry
them only on the property they
guard.
Nobody can carry a gun in
Montgomery County unless he
has been sworn in. Once he's
taken a deputy sheriff'S oath, he
can wear arms anywhere and
has regular police rights.
Arlington guards or night
watchmen must either be sworn
in or get a permit from the Cir
cult Court before they can go
armed.
Alexandra guards must be
sworn in before they can carry
gums. and then they can carry
them only on the job.
Police said the place where
Iorizzo said he was standing when
he fired is on a State highway
not on the Lake Bancroft property.
They pointed out that the
county has no law prohibiting
carrying arms. as long as they're
not concealed. But the user is re-
sponsible for it. they added.
Free x-Rays Scheduled
This Week in Montgomery
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