Bomb victim a ‘mover and a shaker, even at 17’
Aspiring musician’s life lost as Austin police seek clues in 3 mysterious home attacks
AUSTIN — He was an aspiring bass cellist just accepted into the revered Butler School of Music at the University of Texas. He was advancing in the martial arts, and he yearned to become a neurosurgeon.
But all the promise ahead for 17-year-old Draylen Mason was snuffed out this week when he was killed in one of the three package bombings that have Austin on edge.
Police are still not saying who may have left a package bomb on Mason’s front porch Monday, which detonated in his kitchen, killing him and critically injuring his mother. As police were investigating the bomb at Mason’s home, another package bomb detonated about five miles away in southeast Austin, critically injuring one woman.
On Wednesday, friends and family members were still searching for answers as they mourned Mason’s loss.
Mason, who went by Dray, was a senior at East Austin College Prep, a charter school in East Austin. He was known for his love of music and was a member of several local music programs, including the Austin
Youth Orchestra and Austin Soundwaves, a youth music program.
“I remember the moment that another teacher came into the room after a break and said ‘you have an extremely talented musician on your hands,’” said Patrick Slevin, the director of Austin Soundwaves.
Mason had been part of the youth music program for more than six years after joining a summer music program when he was in middle school. Slevin described Mason as an incredibly gifted musician who took advantage of every opportunity.
While Mason played classical music, he was also in a funk band and was even a member of Soundwaves’ mariachi band.
“He was a mover and shaker, even at 17,” Slevin said.
Mason was the second person killed in a series of package explosions that began earlier this month. On March 2, Anthony House was killed after a package bomb was left on his porch. Police initially believed the bomb was an isolated incident.
After Monday’s two bombings, police said they believed the three incidents were related.
Carl Richie, Jr., an Austin lawyer who belongs to the same church and prominent AfricanAmerican fraternity as relatives of Mason and House, said people are mystified by the bombings.
“Everybody’s saddened by it and really puzzled. It’s one thing to lose a loved one to natural death or to a car accident,” Richie said. “But something of this nature, it just really takes you back. Everybody’s just wondering what’s going on.” Family links
The first bombing victim, House, 39, died after picking up a box left on his doorstep. His stepfather, Freddie Dixon, a retired United Methodist minister, and Mason’s grandfather, Norman Mason, belonged to the same invite-only African American fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi, said Richie, who is also a member. The three also attend Wesley United Methodist Church, he said, although neither of the victims attended that church.
“I’m not sure how these fit together. It’s kind of ironic that the families know each other, but I’m not sure who else knew that,” said Richie.
Local authorities offered little new information about the investigation Wednesday as officers and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms officers combed through crime scenes with explosive detection K-9s to help recover evidence.
The Austin Justice Coalition and Black Lives Matter are hosting a town-hall meeting at the Greater Mt. Zion Church Thursday to discuss the “gravity of these malicious attacks and how they are targeting Black and Brown families East of Interstate 35,” according to organizers.
Two of Mason’s brothers and other family members did not return requests for comment, but some have been sharing memories on social media.
Mason’s brother Darren Bouyer wrote on Twitter that he spoke to Mason not long before he passed away.
“We had just talked three hours before you passed I’m so glad I told you I loved you,” Bouyer wrote. “And we … had our last laugh together. You left me with a smile. I’ll remember you that way.”
His brother Marcus Demond wrote on Twitter Monday that he was “lost in a nightmare all day.”
“So many adventures we went on growing up together, so much we learned from each other. We were always our own entertainment,” Demond wrote. “I can’t believe you’re a hashtag ... I love you.”
An online fundraising campaign set up by family members said Mason was “preparing for his morning workout with his mother Shamika Wilson” when the package exploded. Wilson, who police have not publicly identified as a victim, was injured in the blast and was in stable condition as of Wednesday.
Mason’s grandmother “watched as he took his last breath,” the page says.
Mason’s music instructors at Soundwaves are devastated by his death. He was the first student from Austin Soundwaves to get accepted into a major music school, according to Slevin. Mason was recently accepted to the University of Texas Butler School of Music and the University of North Texas’s College of Music. ‘Really inspiring’
Dana Wygmans, Mason’s private bass teacher, had helped Mason prepare for his music school auditions. Last week was the first time in a while the two discussed much outside of college auditions.
“There was a lot of relief to be able to move past that,” Wygmans said.
They talked about how Mason planned to get his undergraduate degree in music, but ultimately wanted to be a neurosurgeon. The two searched the UT website together to get look up information on how he could get his music degree but still get into medical school later.
They also worked through a new piece of music: Giovanni Bottesini’s Elegy, , a somber piece considered a reflection on mourning. After the hustle of music school auditions, Mason was looking forward to performing the piece at his end-ofyear recital.
“He brought a lot of light to a lot of people,” Wygmans said. “He was obviously a great musician, but his energy toward learning and for life in general was really inspiring.”