Austin law enforcement officers have identified the 17-year-old killed in a deadly explosion earlier this week as Draylen Mason, an honor roll student, double bassist, and member of the Austin Youth Orchestra who had just been selected to attend the Butler School of Music at Texas State University.
Mason died Monday morning after an unknown person delivered an explosive package to the home he shared with his mother. Mason and his mother were opening the package in their kitchen when they triggered the bomb inside the cardboard box. Mason was killed; his mother is in stable condition at an Austin hospital.
This is the third package bomb in ten days, Austin authorities say, and all of the bombs appear to have been constructed by the same person. All three bombs were hand-delivered to specific addresses. Two recipients have been killed and two others injured, including the Masons. All four victims are minorities.
Draylen is described by a former teacher as “a most remarkable talent in a most remarkable youth orchestra program called Austin Sound Waves.” He performed with the Austin Youth Orchestra, as well as the Austin Sound Waves — a group that offers “free music instruction to artistically underserved children,” according to CNN — and was a member of the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts.
He was also an honor roll student at East Austin College Prep.
There are a number of videos of Draylen playing his double bass available on social media. They are incredible.
Austin police say they have received approximately 250 calls so far with information about the suspicious packages, but have yet to uncover any significant leads.