Nationwide — More than a year after the death of Zytina Mason-Brown, a 14-year-old African American girl from Washington, D.C., police have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with her killing. The arrest comes after authorities initially determined that she had accidentally shot herself, a conclusion her family disputed from the beginning. She was fatally shot on May 21, 2025, inside an apartment at the Benning Courts Pentacle complex on Benning Road Northeast, across from Hechinger Mall. Police initially said she appeared to have shot herself while recording a video for social media. Her family did not accept that explanation and continued to seek answers about what happened.
The investigation changed several months later when the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner classified Mason-Brown’s death as a homicide in August 2025. The ruling confirmed that authorities were no longer treating the teenager’s death as an accident. Her aunt, Dawna Cooke, said the family had known from the start that Mason-Brown did not kill herself.
According to Fox 5 DC, police have since taken a 17-year-old boy into custody. Authorities allege that he was inside the apartment when Mason-Brown was fatally shot. His identity and information about his upcoming court appearances have not been released because of juvenile privacy laws. The arrest represents a major development in the case more than a year after Mason-Brown’s death.
Her grandmother, Michelle Brown, said the arrest brought some relief after months of uncertainty. She said, “I’m feeling — I don’t want to say happy because it’s not a joyous occasion, I just wish we didn’t have to go through this — but I’m feeling satisfied that D.C. police did apprehend the suspect.”
Mason-Brown was an eighth grader who dreamed of becoming a beautician and real estate agent. Her family continued pressing for answers after her death, particularly because police had initially considered the shooting accidental. Cooke also thanked the Metropolitan Police Department for continuing its investigation and eventually making an arrest.