Maryland Mother Sentenced to 50 Years for Shooting Teen Daughter and Staging Cover-Up

​UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A Prince George’s County judge has sentenced 33-year-old Talecka C. Brown to 50 years in prison following her conviction for the near-fatal shooting of her 13-year-old daughter. The sentencing resolves a harrowing case that began in the fall of 2024, exposing a violent domestic dispute and a mother’s subsequent attempt to cover up her actions.

​The incident took place on September 23, 2024, inside the family’s home in the 500 block of 69th Place in Seat Pleasant. According to prosecutors and court documents, the victim had just arrived home from school when a verbal argument with her mother escalated into a physical altercation.

​As the teenager attempted to walk away toward the stairs, she noticed her mother holding a firearm. Moments later, a single gunshot echoed through the house. The teenager was struck in the back of the neck, causing her to fall down the stairs, paralyzed and unable to move.

​Rather than immediately seeking medical aid for her critically injured child, Brown attempted to stage a cover-up. Investigators revealed that Brown ordered the bleeding teenager to lie to emergency responders and claim an unknown intruder had broken into the home and shot her.

ADVERTISEMENT

​However, investigators with the Prince George’s County Gun Crimes Unit quickly dismantled Brown’s story. Neighborhood surveillance footage showed the teenager arriving home and moving a trash can, but recorded absolutely no one else entering or exiting the residence before the 911 call was placed. A subsequent search of the home uncovered a loaded black Glock handgun and a matching shell casing. Under questioning, Brown ultimately admitted that she and her daughter were the only individuals inside the house at the time of the shooting.

​The betrayal extended beyond the day of the crime. During subsequent bond hearings, prosecutors revealed that Brown had left a voicemail for the child’s father, attempting to manipulate the family by asserting that if the teenager refused to testify, “the whole thing would go away.”

​Despite the pressure, justice prevailed. Brown was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse, first-degree assault, and the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

​In a statement following the sentencing, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara H. Jackson emphasized the depth of the violation committed by the defendant.

​”Today’s sentence reflects the severity of this unimaginable act and the harm inflicted upon this child who deserved nothing but love, protection, and care from her mother,” State’s Attorney Jackson said. “No child should ever have to endure the pain, fear, and trauma this young lady experienced.”