The women returned home from an evening of shopping and closed the front door but left it unlocked, said Loudoun County sheriff’s spokesman Kraig Troxell.

A man wearing a mask walked in, brandished a firearm and forced the women into a small laundry closet inside the apartment.

The women heard several other men enter their home and rummage through their belongs. The group grabbed a laptop, a CD player and video game system before fleeing the scene. The women were unrestrained but stayed inside the laundry closet for more than 20 minutes before calling police.

“They were afraid,” Troxell said.

The gunman was described as a 6-foot-1 black male, last seen wearing a black shirt and jeans.

There is no indication that this attack is connected to killing of William Bennett, 57, who was beaten to death last week during an early morning walk with his wife, Cynthia, Troxell said. He said could not explain why police believed the incidents were unrelated, because the investigation was ongoing.

At about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, about 200 friends, family and neighbors held a candlelight vigil procession for the Bennetts to send a message that the community will not be afraid in the face of the attacks.

At the same time, Loudoun County sheriff’s deputies held a traffic canvas at Rocky Creek Drive and Riverside Parkway, distributing fliers and seeking information from motorists who might have witnessed something last week.

“We’re hoping to get some leads out it,” Troxell said.

Sheriff’s deputies found the Bennetts on a path on Riverside Parkway around 5:30 a.m. after a caller reported suspicious noises and men getting into a white van.

Cynthia Bennett, 55, remains in critical condition and has not been able to talk to investigators. Police have had contact with the CIA, where William Bennett worked as a contractor until 2000.

Anyone with information is asked to call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703- 777-1919. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the homicide.