Teen taken into custody in connection with death of 14-year-old D.C. girl
Police have arrested a 17-year-old male suspect in relation to the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Zytina Mason-Brown, bringing some relief to her family.
A 17-year-old male has been placed in custody after investigators linked him to the shooting that killed 14-year-old Zytina Mason-Brown in a Benning Courts apartment on May 21, 2025. Police originally described the incident as an accidental self-shot while the girl recorded a video, a narrative the family consistently rejected. In August 2025, the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner officially ruled the case a homicide.
The suspect’s name and forthcoming court dates have not been disclosed due to juvenile confidentiality statutes. Mason-Brown’s grandmother expressed a sense of satisfaction that the Metropolitan Police Department secured an arrest, while her aunt thanked investigators for persisting. The arrest marks a pivotal shift in a case the family has challenged from the outset.
Why it matters
The arrest addresses the family's long-standing concerns about the circumstances of the teen's death and signals police progress.
In this story
