shooting

Teen Killing Provoked by Taunting Snapchat Video: Court Documents

Melvin Flores mugshot
Alexandria Sheriff's Office

Investigators believe the Oct. 26 killing of 19-year-old Xyqwavius Brown in Fairfax County, Virginia, was related to a Snapchat video the teen posted taunting his suspected killer, according to court documents.

The day before, Brown and some friends allegedly robbed his suspected killer, Melvin Flores, of marijuana, court documents say. Brown arranged to buy some marijuana from Flores but stayed in the car while his friends robbed the suspect, according to the documents. 

Flores allegedly pulled a gun on the robbers but did not shoot, court documents say. This led Brown to post the video, in which he goaded Flores for not defending himself with his gun and said Flores wouldn’t come after him, to his Snapchat around midnight. 

Brown’s grandmother told police he picked up a call on his cellphone, walked out of their Hybla Valley apartment and never came back.

Brown was shot just 30 minutes after making the video, court documents say.

Investigators found that Flores’ phone traveled near the apartment complex immediately before the shooting and left immediately after 911 calls started coming in. 

A witness said Flores’ girlfriend drove him and another man to Brown’s apartment and parked before Flores walked out of sight. He returned to the car holding a gun, and they all drove away, according to the witness.

Flores is now facing a federal charge in Virginia — possession of a gun to further drug trafficking resulting in death.

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