3 Charged With Murder in Death Of Iraq Veteran Near D.C. Club

Three men were charged yesterday with first-degree murder in the slaying of an Iraq war veteran early Sunday near a Northwest Washington nightclub.

They are accused of fatally shooting Army Sgt. Antrevyn Mason-Black, 24, as he sat in the driver's seat of his silver Mazda about 3 a.m. in the Shaw neighborhood. A 23-year-old man who was with Mason-Black was also shot and remained hospitalized yesterday in critical but stable condition.

The three suspects -- Davon Williams, 26, Raymond Brown, 24, and Devon Robinson, 29 -- were arrested just minutes after the shooting as they tried to drive to Southeast Washington, police said. All were ordered jailed without bond after a hearing in D.C. Superior Court.

Relatives described Mason-Black as an ambitious and good-natured young man who had served a year as a military police officer in Iraq. After returning home, he was stationed at Fort Belvoir, the relatives said.

His mother, Angel Mason-Callaway, and her husband, Lawrence Callaway, said they were devastated by the loss. They have three young children, ages 10 through 13.

"It's ironic," Mason-Callaway said. "He could survive Iraq but not the mean streets of Washington, D.C. Something needs to be done about the violence. . . . They have to get a handle on the situation. This is just one of the many, our son."

Authorities said Mason-Black and his friend left a nightspot, Kili's Kafe and Lounge, early Sunday and approached a group of women in the 1800 block of Eighth Street NW. The pair struck up a conversation with the women, police said.

Several men then told Mason-Black and his friend not to talk to the women, police said.

Mason-Black and his friend replied that they did not want any trouble and got into their car, police said. At least three guns were fired at the Mazda, police said. Mason-Black was struck in the spinal cord and died almost instantly; his friend was wounded in the neck and struggled out of the car. Police recovered 21 shell casings at the scene.

Officers on patrol saw a Buick fleeing the area. On a hunch that the men might try to drive to Southeast on Interstate 395, other officers began watching traffic heading into the Third Street Tunnel.

They spotted a Buick and pulled it over near the tunnel entrance. They took the Buick's occupants -- identified as Williams, Brown and Robinson -- into custody, police said. All three men are from Southeast.

Police said officers found a .45-caliber handgun inside the car. The weapon was forensically linked to shell casings recovered at the crime scene, police said.