16-year-old charged in 4 fatal DC shootings, police say

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Police arrested a 16-year-old boy last Wednesday suspected of killing 4 people during a series of violent crimes throughout the Washington D.C. area.

Michael Mason reportedly conducted the fatal shootings over a 7-week span between April 7 and May 22 in two separate districts, the Metropolitan Police Department said. They added that at least five other people were wounded during the spree.

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Mason denied his involvement during interviews with homicide detectives, according to an arrest affidavit. One of the alleged victims included a woman who was used as a “human shield” by a person targeted by a gunman, police said.

Police said the fatal shooting involving one woman, Brea Moon, 21, occurred 11 days after Mason was released from juvenile detention.

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Mason was identified after authorities used facial recognition software to compare a photo given by a victim with images of Mason on social media, a court affidavit said, according to the Washington Post. Police added that Mason reportedly tried to sell a .40-caliber gun on Instagram following one of the killings.

Mason was charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to kill, assault with intent to murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon, police said.

Police also charged Daquan Jones, 19, of Northeast D.C., with first-degree murder in reference to Moon’s killing.

"These individuals terrorized our communities and we thank all who assisted in their arrest," D.C. police wrote on Twitter.

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An investigation is ongoing.