A 32-year-old mother named Talecka Brown, has been arrested and charged with first-degree attempted murder after allegedly shooting her 13-year-old daughter outside their home in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Surveillance footage shows the teenager dragging a trash can up the driveway before going inside and being shot by her mother, according to police reports.
Police officers then responded to the home near the Seat Pleasant Police Department on Monday, finding the girl bleeding from a gunshot wound by the front door, as per a Daily Mail report.
Initially, the girl told police a homeless person had shot her, but later admitted that her mother had instructed her to lie to cover up the details of the shooting.
The girl revealed that she and her mother had been arguing before the situation then turned violent. As she was walking down the stairs, she said she saw her mother holding a gun, which was then fired straight towards her, causing her to fall down the staircase.
A search of the home then led police to uncover a loaded Glock handgun, and investigators reported smelling the scent of a recently discharged firearm.
Charging documents also reveal that Brown gave conflicting statements to police before finally admitting she was the only person at home with her daughter at the time of the shooting.
When asked about the gun, Brown said there was one in the house but that it was unregistered and did not belong to her.
“It is always tragic when we have acts of violence within our community, but it is heart-wrenching when the perpetrator is supposed to be your protector,” Seat Pleasant’s acting police chief said in a statement.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy also touched on the incident and said : “While no one thinks a mother would shoot their own daughter, these incidents do happen. We know it’s going to take time for her to recover from her physical injuries, but her emotional injuries may last a lifetime.”
The teenager is currently in intensive care but is expected to need further surgery to get back to her best physical level. Doctors say she is fortunate to still be able to walk, given where the bullet struck.
The gunshot the girl suffered wounded near her neck and shoulder, with another fragment lodged near her abdomen, according to charging documents.
Earlier in the day, Brown had posted a positive message on Facebook, writing about making dinner and also celebrating a new job. However, during a court appearance, prosecutors revealed that she left a voicemail for the girl’s father, implying the case would “go away” if their daughter did not testify in court.
Many are eyeing what the final outcome of the incident would be, yet Brown has not entered a plea and is scheduled to return to court on October 25.
