On the morning of March 6, 2022, the body of 48-year-old Travian Jefferson, a Black male, was discovered in Oklahoma City. Police responded to a call about a man down in the 5300 block of Willow Cliff Dr. and found Jefferson deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. His death was investigated as the city's 15th homicide of the year. Described by his family as a kind-hearted and hardworking man, his sudden death left friends and relatives in profound shock and grief.
The initial stages of
the investigation yielded few leads, and for months, no arrests were made in connection with the shooting. Jefferson's family publicly pleaded for justice and encouraged anyone with information to come forward to assist the Oklahoma City Police Department in their investigation. The discovery of his body near Northwest 50th Street and North Ann Arbor Avenue prompted an extensive effort by law enforcement to piece together the events that led to his death.
Several months later, a breakthrough in the case occurred. On August 26, 2022, the Oklahoma City Police Department announced the arrest of a suspect. Rashawn Mason, 24 years old, was taken into custody on a complaint of first-degree murder. Authorities accused Mason of fatally shooting Travian Jefferson and leaving his body. Following his arrest, Mason was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. While the arrest brought a sense of relief to Jefferson's mourning family, the motive behind the fatal shooting has not been publicly disclosed by investigators.
