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A boy who was in the room where the shooting took place told police he thought the shooting was accidental, according to a search warrant.
CLAYTON
An eyewitness to the Nov. 28 shooting that killed a 12-year-old boy in Johnston County told police the shooting was an accident, according to a newly released search warrant.
Ty’ryn Anthony Zah’rel Washington, 21, of Kenly, was charged with the second-degree murder of Kyrell Stewart on Dec. 3 after turning himself in. Washington is being held at the Harnett County jail without bail.
Court records show Washington was out on pre-trial release at the time of the shooting, facing charges of aiding and abetting another man accused of pointing a gun at someone and helping the man evade arrest, The News & Observer previously reported.
What witnesses told police
Clayton police officers were dispatched to an apartment on Commodore Street upon hearing reports of fighting and individuals making threats to shoot people, according to the Nov. 29 search warrant. They found several people leaving the apartment, some of whom told an officer that Kyrell had been shot and needed immediate attention.
Clayton police took a 16-year-old boy into custody who was in the room with his friends when the shooting occurred, according to the search warrant. He had a black and silver Glock with no magazine concealed in his waistband. Police observed a “compact Glock magazine projectile” stuck in the door of the bedroom where Kyrell was shot.
The boy told police that the man who had shot Kyrell was a Black male in all-black clothing who had short hair in freeforms, according to the search warrant. The man had a brown Glock 19X. The boy said he looked down for a second before hearing a loud bang.
“Then the guy freaked out, jumped over the dresser in the room and then ran out of the room,” the boy told police, according to the search warrant. “I do not know if he ran out of the front door or jumped off the balcony.”
The boy was taken to a second facility where he told police he believed the man drove a Nissan Altima and was Kyrell’s cousin, but he did not know his name.
“I do not think he shot Kyrell on purpose; it was accidental,” the boy told police, according to the search warrant. “After he shot Kyrell, he tried to pick Kyrell up off the ground, but Kyrell did not move. The guy then ran.”
Clayton police interviewed another male who was in the room during the shooting, according to the search warrant. He alleged that Washington was “manipulating” a brown handgun when it discharged and struck Kyrell. He told police that Washington owns a red Nissan Altima and that he and Washington had arrived at the apartment in Washington’s car.
Police searched a 2017 red Nissan Altima belonging to Washington and seized a ProMag extended magazine loaded with 15 9 mm rounds, according to the search warrant. Police also found four .380 rounds and two 9 mm rounds. It is unclear if the ammunition belonged to Washington.
An obituary for Kyrell described him as having a “joyful spirit” whose “playful nature and silly antics always brought smiles to those around him.”
“His laughter and vibrant smile had a magical way of brightening even the darkest days, serving as a reminder of the incredible impact he made on everyone he met,” the obituary read.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 5:54 PM.
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Twumasi Duah-Mensah
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