In the spring of 2009, a night of video games and pizza among friends turned into a tragedy that left a Chesapeake, Virginia community in shock. On April 15, 16-year-old Mason Walker Jones, a male, was spending the night at the home of his best friend, 17-year-old Joshua Compton. The two teenagers were enjoying their spring break when their lives were abruptly cut short.
Shortly after midnight, a knock came at the door of the Compton residence on Roland Avenue.
Mason was called downstairs to see who it was, and Joshua soon followed. For about ten minutes, the two boys stood in the doorway talking with two men. Joshua's mother, who was in another room, could hear their voices but couldn't make out the conversation. Suddenly, the sound of multiple gunshots shattered the peace of the night.
Both Mason Jones and Joshua Compton were fatally shot in the doorway of the home. After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene and were seen getting into a red vehicle with a third person. Joshua's mother witnessed the horrific event but was unable to identify the shooters. The description of one of the suspects is that of a stocky Black man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a wide face and squinted eyes, who was wearing a white cap or bandana and a dark-blue feather-down coat.
Fifteen years later, the double homicide of Mason Jones and Joshua Compton remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. The Chesapeake Police Department continues to investigate the case and has periodically received tips over the years. The families of the two slain teenagers are still waiting for answers and justice for their sons. A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in this tragic and unsolved case.
