Markese Robert Brooks, 19, of Lexington Park
A months-long investigation into a March 2024 shooting on Ronald Drive has led to the arrest and charging of three individuals, all connected to a complex series of events involving gunfire, surveillance footage, and alleged retaliation.
The incident began in the early hours of March 2, 2024, when deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to Ronald Drive in the Countryside neighborhood for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they located Dakarai Amon Mason, 18, of Lexington Park, suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower leg.
Mason was taken to an area hospital where he spoke briefly with investigators. Meanwhile, a nearby resident told police they had invited Mason into their home for safety after finding him wounded outside. According to court documents, Mason collapsed in their foyer and reportedly asked the resident, “can you go get my gun,” though he did not reveal where the weapon was located.
Deputies later found a loaded SCCY CPX-1 9MM handgun under a light blue vehicle parked near the residence. The weapon had a bullet in the chamber and several matching shell casings were recovered from the scene. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators captured what appeared to be muzzle flashes followed by Mason running and staggering between vehicles.
Though initially treated as the victim in the incident, Mason was later charged with first-degree assault and various weapons offenses after investigators determined he may have also discharged a firearm during the incident. On August 2, 2024, Mason pled guilty to the felony assault charge in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court. He was sentenced in January 2025 to 15 years in prison, with all but four years suspended, and five years of supervised probation.
Duane Cornelius Mason, 36 of Lexington Park
In a major development nearly a year later, 19-year-old Markese Robert Brooks of Lexington Park was indicted on seven charges related to the same incident. According to the indictment, Brooks is accused of attempting to murder Dakarai Mason during the March 2, 2024 shooting. He was also charged with first-degree assault, use of a firearm in a violent crime, possession of a firearm as a minor, and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault with Duane Mason.
Brooks was arrested on March 20, 2025, and is currently awaiting a jury trial set to begin in July 2025.
The third individual charged in connection with the case is Duane Cornelius Mason, 36 of Lexington Park. On March 15, 2024, Duane Mason was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit both first- and second-degree assault against Dakarai Mason.
Court records reveal that Duane Mason’s involvement came into focus after surveillance footage and ballistics evidence linked his mother’s Toyota Avalon to the crime scene. Footage from the Pegg Road Shell gas station showed the Avalon closely following another vehicle, later identified as Mason’s, moments before the shooting on Ronald Drive.
A search of Duane Mason’s residence uncovered firearm components and a magazine containing 28 gold-colored “FC” 9mm rounds—matching shell casings found at the scene. Further analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) revealed that shell casings found inside the Avalon were likely fired from the same weapon used in the Ronald Drive shooting.
Dakarai Amon Mason, 18, of Lexington Park
Duane Mason eventually pled guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. In February 2025, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with all but five years suspended. Upon release, he must complete five years of supervised probation with conditions including no contact with the victim, total firearm prohibition, and mandatory substance monitoring.
The investigation was led by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, with significant work from deputies and detectives who executed search warrants, gathered forensic evidence, and coordinated surveillance reviews. Deputy Allison Mattera filed the charges against Duane Mason, while prosecutors Sarah Freeman Proctor and Alena Kirsten Mosier have led the cases for the State.
While two defendants—Dakarai and Duane Mason—have been convicted and sentenced, the prosecution of Markese Brooks remains ongoing. His trial is scheduled for late July 2025.
Authorities have not publicly released a motive, though court records suggest that the violence may have stemmed from a prior incident and that the parties knew one another.
Markese Robert Brooks, 19, of Lexington Park
Duane Cornelius Mason, 36 of Lexington Park
Dakarai Amon Mason, 18, of Lexington Park
