On the evening of December 17, 2020, 12-year-old Djaneira Mason was tragically killed inside her family's home on Van Buren Street in Kingston, New York. A seventh-grade student at J. Watson Bailey Middle School, Djaneira was remembered as a loving and bubbly girl who dreamed of becoming a teacher. That night, while her mother was out shopping, Djaneira was home with her four siblings when gunshots tore through their residence. She was struck in the head and died instantly. Her younger brother was also wounded in the arm during the attack.
The investigation into the senseless shooting led to the arrests of two Kingston men, Gilbert Thomas, 24, and Robert James, 46. Prosecutors revealed that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. Thomas, a reputed Bloods gang member, had fired an AK-47 military-style rifle into the house, believing a rival gang member who had allegedly stabbed his brother earlier that day was inside.
Gilbert Thomas was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder for his role in Djaneira's death and received a sentence of 20 years to life in state prison. His accomplice, Robert James, who had carried two long guns in a duffel bag to the scene but reportedly walked away when he realized children were present, was convicted on weapons charges. Despite his claim that he told Thomas not to shoot because there were kids inside, James was sentenced to 20 years in state prison. His conviction was later upheld by an appellate court in October 2024. In the wake of the tragedy, Djaneira's mother has sought to have a local playground named in her daughter's memory, a testament to a young life cut short by a violent act.
