Police release identities in murder-suicide

DALE CITY, Va. -- Police say Tonitha Marie White’s 12-year-old daughter gathered children in the basement to keep them safe Monday morning when she heard gunshots ring out at her mother’s home-based day care.

White, 39, of 5612 Roundtree Drive in Dale City, was shot to death in the upper level of her home about 7 a.m. The man police say killed her, 49-year-old Richard Anthony Nichols of 5787 Rockcliff Lane in Dale City, then apparently turned the gun on himself.

“It appears to be a murder-suicide,” said Prince William County police 1st Sgt. Kim Chinn. “We’re waiting for the medical examiner’s report to be positive.”

According to police, Nichols knocked on the door of the White home about an hour after day care got started for the morning. White’s daughter opened the door and let him in, then “went about her business,” said county police spokeswoman Erika Hernandez.

Minutes later, the girl heard gunshots. She rushed the seven children at the day care into the basement, placed them in a bathroom and called 911.

Police arrived to find the bodies of White and Nichols on the upper level of the house.

Officers swarmed the area and put Rosa Parks Elementary and other nearby schools on lockdown until they determined that there was no gunman on the loose, Chinn said.

The children in her care Monday morning were between the ages of seven and 12 and did not witness the shooting, though they may have heard gunshots.

The children were all taken to the Garfield police substation, where their parents were notified.

Police say White and Nichols knew each other, but were not married. It was unclear Monday what relationship they might have had.

White lists a former address on Rockcliff Lane, next door to Nichols’ home.

White was a state-licensed home day care provider and had been running the center out of her home for six years. She had no violations during that time, according to the state social services Web site.

Her day care center is called Toni’s B*A*S*E.

Alicia Knight, who teaches USDA training classes for day care providers, said White had attended one of her sessions.

“We’re all in a state of shock and sadness, as this is a close community of family child care providers and she was one of the really good ones,” Knight said.

On her day care Web site, White wrote that one of the goals for kids in her care was to “have each child know they are loved by me, and are special little people.”

Parents of her wards seem to agree. “Lewis has been coming to you for 4 years, and I don’t know what I would do without you! Please don’t go anywhere any time soon!” one customer wrote.

Communities editor Kari Pugh can be reached at 703-878-8056.