Masked Hit Squad Hunted Kids

Prosecutors say three masked shooters riddled two boys with bullets in a daylight ambush, and two adult suspects now face premeditated murder charges.

Story Highlights

Two men were arrested on court warrants and charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed.
Court papers describe three masked shooters who arrived in a stolen car, opened fire, and fled.
Police say the boys were targeted over neighborhood affiliation, not mistaken identity.
A judge found probable cause against one defendant and ordered him held without bond.

Arrests and Charges Filed in April Double Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department officials announced two arrests tied to the April 14 shooting that killed 12-year-old M’hilo Young and 14-year-old Tyale Coates in Northeast Washington, D.C. Officers arrested Antonio Terry on October 25 and Markell Woodings on October 26 under D.C. Superior Court arrest warrants. Prosecutors charged both men with two counts of first-degree murder while armed, a premeditated offense, according to the department’s public release. The arrests came more than six months after the attack outside a convenience store.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia described what court documents say happened that day. A stolen black Honda Accord pulled up to the entrance of a parking lot. Three masked males got out of the car, opened fire on people in the lot, then returned to the car and fled together. A judicial officer later found probable cause that Terry committed first-degree murder while armed and ordered him held without bond. Woodings faces the same charges filed in Superior Court.

Details of the Attack and Victims’ Injuries

News reports say the boys were shot outside the Circle 7 Express store in daylight. Reported medical details underscore how severe the attack was. Young was struck 18 times, and Coates was struck 12 times, according to local coverage that summarized officials’ accounts. The charging description of a stolen vehicle, masked shooters, and a coordinated arrival and escape aligns with a planned group assault rather than an accidental shooting. Police have not publicly named or charged a third shooter described in the documents.

Officials have shared a broad view of motive. Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said investigators believe the boys were targeted because of the neighborhoods they came from, not because of who they were as individuals. That claim matches a wider pattern researchers describe in youth violence, where neighborhood conflicts and easy access to guns can feed retaliation cycles. Still, that broader pattern does not by itself prove the motive in this case for any specific defendant. Prosecutors will need case-specific evidence in court.

What Authorities Say They Know—and What They Have Not Said

Authorities have stated core facts: two adult suspects were arrested on warrants, both face premeditated murder charges, and a judge found probable cause to hold one of them without bond. Officials also describe three masked shooters using a stolen car to carry out the attack. Public documents and reports, however, have not detailed how investigators linked each defendant to the scene, the car, or any weapon. Police have not publicly explained the status of the third alleged shooter.

City data place the case within a shifting crime landscape. The Metropolitan Police Department reports that homicide clearances rose in recent years, with 2025 reaching an eighty-five percent clearance rate on a federal reporting measure. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council says violent crime fell in 2025, even as gun violence remains a core concern for families and schools. Those trends may help explain why this case drew strong attention and a push for swift arrests.

Why This Case Resonates Beyond One Block

This case sits at the intersection of public safety, youth vulnerability, and trust in government. Parents on both sides of the political spectrum want their kids to be safe walking to a store. Residents want police to solve brutal crimes fast and prosecutors to present strong evidence in court. The state has the duty to prove its case with facts, not headlines. Clear communication and transparent court filings can help communities see justice as both firm and fair.