TUCSON, Ariz. – A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Daydrian Brown, who was killed in July during a house party in Midtown Tucson.
20-year-old Katraun Devon McLendon has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident, bringing a step closer to justice for Brown’s grieving family.
“It’s hard for me because I’m 80 years old and here he is getting killed at 15,” said Brown’s grandmother, Frances Federico.
Brown’s mother, Dahlia Brown, described the ongoing pain. “It gets harder every day, harder every day,” she said, recalling how her son was trying to de-escalate an argument over stolen property when he was shot.
Known as an avid soccer player with a promising future, Daydrian had no history of trouble, according to his mother.
Although the arrest warrant and criminal complaint did not disclose specific evidence linking McLendon to the murder, further details are expected as the case moves toward trial.
McLendon has a prior arrest from May 2025, when a noise complaint at a house party led to a police chase. Officers recovered a Glock .40 caliber handgun equipped with a “switch” to make it fully automatic. He was initially charged with possessing a prohibited weapon, but the charge was dismissed when federal authorities decided to pursue the case.
According to prosecutors, McLendon is being held on a $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear before a judge on September 15.
Daydrian’s mother has also suggested that another suspect may have been involved, as two individuals were seen in video footage from the night of the murder.
The investigation remains ongoing.
