Competency hearing for man accused of shooting US diplomat

By The Associated Press
August 11, 2017 | 3:13 AM

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A competency hearing is scheduled for a California man accused of shooting a U.S. diplomat in Mexico.

A federal judge in Alexandria is set to arraign Zia Zafar of Chino Hills, California, on Friday and hold a hearing on whether is competent to stand trial.

Zafar is charged with attempted murder of a diplomat in the Jan. 6 shooting of consular officer Christopher Ashcraft in Guadalajara. Part of the shooting was captured on video depicting a man taking aim and firing at Ashcraft as he exited a parking garage.

Prosecutors have offered no motive for the shooting.

Court records indicate Zafar was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation back in May. The findings of that evaluation have not been released.

After boundary review, some Fairfax County students attending new schools this fall

By Scott Gelman
August 24, 2026 | 5:17 AM

This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage. Nearly 1,700 Fairfax County, Virginia, students will attend a different school this fall as a result of the district’s first comprehensive boundary review in decades. The plan approved by the Fairfax County School Board in January called for 1,697 students to be reassigned to schools other than those they attended during the 2025-26 school year. Some affected students could opt to remain at their previous school, depending on the grade they’re entering this academic year, according to the school division’s FAQ page.

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