Woman Sentenced to 2 Months in Jail for Brandishing Gun During Argument with Neighbor

NORFOLK, Va. – Maya Kiarra Mason, 26, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve two months in jail for misdemeanor brandishing after she pointed her gun at her neighbor during a disagreement last year.

On the morning of Nov. 14, the victim was playing music inside her apartment while her children were getting ready for school. The victim stood outside her apartment for a moment with two of her children and another neighbor, and Ms. Mason came outside of her unit next door to ask the victim to turn down her music. The victim declined to do so right away, saying she was about to leave the apartment soon to see her children off to school. Ms. Mason then went back inside her apartment, returned seconds later with a firearm, and pointed it at the victim’s face. Another neighbor screamed at the sight of the gun, and witnesses called Norfolk Police to report the disturbance. Ms. Mason returned inside her apartment, quarreled through her window with the people who were still outside, and fled the apartment complex before officers arrived. The victim spoke with arriving officers, and they secured a charge against Ms. Mason for misdemeanor brandishing.

In March, Ms. Mason stood trial, was found guilty of her charge in Norfolk General District Court, and appealed her conviction to Norfolk Circuit Court.

Ms. Mason again pleaded not guilty, and following a bench trial on Tuesday, Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise found her guilty and sentenced her to serve two months in jail, with another 10 months suspended on the condition that she be of uniform good behavior for the next year.

“If you own a gun, use it responsibly. If you misuse your gun by threatening another person with it, we will hold you accountable,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Brandishing a gun is terrifying to a victim and dangerous to everyone, and yet it is only a misdemeanor which our state government does not fund prosecutors to staff. I staff these cases because public safety demands it, but I once again call on our governor and legislators to fund Virginia prosecutors to staff these vital public-safety cases.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys David A. Johnson and Jessica L. Terkovich prosecuted Ms. Mason’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

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