Man Sentenced To 72-99 Months For Killing 12-Year-Old In Clayton Apartment

SMITHFIELD — A Kenly man who surrendered to police three days after the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy inside a crowded Clayton apartment has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Ty’ryn Anthony Zah’rel Washington was sentenced Oct. 6 to 72 to 99 months in state prison for the Nov. 28, 2025 death of Kyrell Stewart.

The shooting occurred during a chaotic evening at an apartment complex on Commodore Street.

Clayton Police were initially called around 5:30 p.m. to a fight involving weapons in the 300 block of Commodore Street. Several people fled as officers arrived while others remained behind to speak with police.

Moments later, officers heard another disturbance nearby and saw people running from an apartment in the 400 block of Commodore Street, shouting that someone had been shot.

Inside, officers found Kyrell suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

Johnston County EMS attempted lifesaving measures, but the 12-year-old died from his injuries.

Police estimated at the time that between 20 and 30 people had been inside the apartment.

Early in the investigation, witnesses told police that some people inside had been attempting to hide firearms as officers arrived and that one of the weapons discharged.

Investigators initially could not determine who had fired the shot.

After additional interviews and a review of the evidence, detectives identified Washington as the person who had been handling the firearm.

The Johnston County District Attorney’s Office said investigators ultimately determined Washington pointed the firearm at Kyrell and pulled the trigger while believing the weapon was unloaded.

Washington, who was 20-year-old at the time of the incident, surrendered to authorities Dec. 1, 2025 after Clayton Police obtained a warrant charging him with manslaughter.

District Attorney Jason Waller said the shooting was not intentional, but resulted from extremely reckless handling of a firearm.

“Kyrell was only 12 years old, and his life was taken because of an extraordinarily reckless decision involving a firearm,” Waller said. “While this was not an intentional killing, there is nothing accidental or insignificant about the consequences of the defendant’s decision to point a firearm at Kyrell’s head. Because of thoughtless actions, a child lost his life.”

The investigation was complicated by the number of people inside the apartment and conflicting accounts of what happened.

The District Attorney’s Office said detectives encountered uncooperative witnesses and inconsistent accounts as they attempted to determine what occurred.

“This was also a difficult case to investigate. The Clayton Police Department had to work through inconsistent accounts and a lack of cooperation from people who were present when this happened. Investigators stayed with the case, continued to pursue the evidence, and ultimately put together a case that resulted in accountability.”

District Attorney Waller also credited the Clayton Police Department and the investigators who worked the case.

“The Johnston County District Attorney’s Office appreciates the work of the Clayton Police Department, Detective Jason Linder, and all the investigators who worked this case. Their persistence was critical to obtaining this resolution.”