Michael Mason Washington D.C. teen, 16, charged with 4 murders, 6 shootings over 2 month span in separate gang related fatal incidents.
A 16-year-old teen boy has been arrested and charged with the murders of four different people, including a pregnant woman in separate gang-related incidents.
Michael Mason, 16, of Southeast Washington D.C. was taken into custody last Wednesday and is being charged as an adult the Metropolitan Police Dept announced in a press release.
He is suspected of killing Terrance Griffin, 31, Jaszel Henderson, 20, Brea Moon, 21, – who was pregnant – and 18-year-old Antwuan Roach.
The crimes cover their sixth and seventh districts during a two month window, including April and May.
Mason is also suspected in a number of other shooting incidents within the same months. Cops have connected him to nine shootings.
Pregnant woman used as human shield
An affidavit says in one incident in April a pregnant woman, identified as Moon, was used as a ‘human shield’ for someone who was being shot at.
The mother-to-be lived in District Heights, Maryland and the other victims lived in Southeast DC.
In that incident of the pregnant woman, Mason blames the driver of the vehicle he was in.
He claims he was in the back of a Honda Crosstour when the driver shot into another car where Moon sat.
The driver continued on into Maryland and Moon was later found in her car. She died in hospital.
Mason said he ‘did not even know there was a female in the car they shot at’, according to the affidavit. ‘The defendant admitted the intention of the killing was someone else who had been causing problems in his neighborhood.’
However investigators – who found four shell casings in the street – say the shells would have fallen in the car if the driver reached over to shoot through the passenger side window where Mason was.
Rival gang feud
Daquan Jones, 19, was also charged in relation to Moon’s death.
Video from NBC 4 shows one of the crimes scenes.
Mason is reported to have been part of the Simple City crew and the incidents could be related to a feud with a rival gang named 37th according to the dailymail.
Mason was identified as the suspect after one victim gave cops a photograph of someone they believed to be the shooter and police used facial recognition software to come up with a match.
Mason is linked to the crimes by a .40-caliber gun and detective claim he tried to sell one on Instagram after the homicides.
They also looked into cell phone tower pings after interviewing witnesses.
Mason has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to kill and assault with a dangerous weapon. He denies the allegations.
Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for anyone with information that helps the investigation.
