Man convicted by Washoe County Jury of shooting 4-year-old girl with a handgun

Quinzale Mason found guilty for multiple charges.

Reno, Nevada. Feb 12, 2015. Quinzale Mason, DOB 4/10/83, was found guilty Thursday morning, Feb. 12, 2015, by a Washoe County jury of Battery With a Deadly Weapon, Assault With a Deadly Weapon, and Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Elliott Sattler presided over the trial, which began on Feb. 9, 2015. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Zach Young, and Chief Deputy Public Defender Carl Hylin represented Mr. Mason. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning its verdicts.

During the trial, the testimony revealed that on Aug. 9, 2014, Mr. Mason lost money to another adult male during a game of dice. A couple of hours later, Mr. Mason drove his vehicle to a nearby apartment complex where the other male lived and pulled into the parking lot. Upon observing the other male, Mr. Mason exited his vehicle with a handgun and immediately shot at the male at least two times. The male was uninjured and ran away, but a ricochet bullet struck a 4-year old girl who was playing outside with her mother. The young girl was struck in her right lower leg and transported to a local hospital for treatment. She was discharged the following day in stable condition.

After the shooting, Mr. Mason got back into his car and drove away from the scene. His vehicle was located later that night abandoned in Sun Valley. The Reno Police Department, who investigated the case, received a secret witness tip that Mr. Mason’s mother was flying into Reno from Arizona the next morning to help Mr. Mason flee the area. Officers and detectives conducted surveillance at the airport and identified Mr. Mason’s mother as she exited a plane. Police followed her to a house in Sun Valley, just a few blocks from Mr. Mason’s abandoned car. As the surveillance continued, Mr. Mason was seen exiting the house and getting into a car with his mother and two other females. The vehicle departed the house and was ultimately stopped by officers.

Mr. Mason was found guilty of Battery With a Deadly Weapon for striking the 4-year old girl, and Assault With a Deadly Weapon for shooting at the other male subject. Mr. Mason was further found guilty of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, based on a 2006 conviction out of Las Vegas for Voluntary Manslaughter With a Deadly Weapon. In that case, Mr. Mason shot a woman multiple times with a handgun, killing her.

Please direct any further questions to Washoe County Deputy District Attorney Zach Young, who may be reached at 328-3200.

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