Two suspects have been apprehended in the killings of an active duty service member and his wife, both of whom were military physicians, authorities announced Thursday.

The "brutal" double slayings Wednesday morning took the lives of Army Col. Dr. Edward McDaniel and his wife, Dr. Brenda McDaniel, in Fairfax County, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., said Fairfax County police.

Edward McDaniel, 55, was on active duty and Brenda McDaniel, 63, was retired, police said.

The McDaniels were "distinguished military veterans" who were shot dead in "cold blood" in front of their home, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference Wednesday. Two people were inside the house at the time and survived uninjured, police said.