Authorities have arrested a 17-year-old male suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Zytina Mason-Brown in Washington, D.C., a year after police initially ruled the death an accident. The family of Mason-Brown had consistently maintained that she did not shoot herself.
Mason-Brown was killed on May 21, 2025, inside an apartment at the Benning Courts Pentacle complex in Northeast D.C. At the time, police suggested the shooting was accidental, stating Mason-Brown had apparently been recording a video for social media when she sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
However, her family rejected this explanation, insisting that Zytina had not taken her own life. Their persistence led to further investigation, and in August 2025, the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner officially ruled Mason-Brown's death a homicide.
"We knew that Zytina did not kill herself," her aunt, Dawna Cooke, told FOX5 DC. "And I really want to thank the Metropolitan Police Department for fighting so hard to come to the conclusion and get the suspect in custody."
Mason-Brown's grandmother, Michelle Brown, expressed a sense of satisfaction with the arrest, stating, "I’m feeling satisfied that D.C. police did apprehend the suspect. And they did their job on this one." She added that while it's not a joyous occasion, the apprehension offers some measure of relief.
Mason-Brown was an eighth grader with aspirations of becoming a beautician and a real estate agent.
Details regarding the identity of the 17-year-old suspect and their upcoming court proceedings have not been publicly disclosed due to juvenile privacy laws. The suspect was reportedly inside the apartment when Mason-Brown was shot.