16-Year-Old Boy Charged With 4 Murders in DC

A bundle of police crime scene tape in a file photo. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images)

District of Columbia police arrested a 16-year-old boy who is suspected of killing four people during a series of crimes throughout the Washington area.

Michael Mason, the suspect, is also accused of carrying out six separate shootings dating back to April of this year, police said in a news release on Monday. Mason was charged as an adult in the slayings and shootings, the Metropolitan Police Department added.

The department noted that at least five other people were injured in the shootings, according to The Washington Post.

Overall, Mason is suspected of killing 31-year-old Terrance Griffin, 20-year-old Jaszel Henderson, 21-year-old Brea Moon, and 18-year-old Antwuan Roach, officials said. Moon lived in District Heights, Maryland, while Griffin, Henderson, and Roach lived in southeast D.C.

The fatal shooting of Moon occurred about 11 days after Mason was released from juvenile detention, officials told the Post.

The suspect was identified after authorities used facial recognition software to compare a photo handed to authorities by a victim to images of Mason that were posted on social media, according to court documents, the Post reported. Authorities said Mason also tried to sell a .40-caliber gun on Instagram after one of the killings.

Other than Mason, 19-year-old Daquan Jones was charged with first-degree murder in relation to Moon’s death.

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

Authorities said an investigation into the slayings is ongoing.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information that leads to the arrest of a suspect involved in a homicide in D.C. Anyone with information about the case can call police at 202-727-9099 police or anonymous tips can be sent by texting to 50411.