No known motive for Joppatowne murder-suicide that claimed the lives of family of four
On August 26 at approximately 11:18 a.m., deputies with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 300 block of Trimble Road in Joppatowne, Maryland, for a report of an active shooter situation. The Sheriff’s Office said that it took about two minutes for deputies to arrive at that location.
Once on the scene, deputies made entry into the apartment located at 341 Trimble Road where they discovered multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. In total, four victims were discovered. Deputies confirmed that three of the victims, all adults, were already deceased. One younger shooting victim, a 17-year-old, was still alive but had sustained serious injuries.
After assessing the situation, the Sheriff’s Office notified the public that the shootings had taken place, but that there was no perceived danger to the community.
One of the deputies, trained as a tactical medic, with assistance from other deputies, removed the teen victim from what was still an active crime scene and began providing emergency care. The teen was transported to Shock Trauma. Tragically, the still unidentified teen later died from his injuries.
The investigation was taken over by detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. Investigators from the Forensic Services Unit responded to collect and preserve physical evidence in support of their investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office identified the shooter as 34-year-old Devin Brown of Baltimore. His victims have been identified as Sherlyn Ann Pitts, 65; Sheena Yvonne Smothers, 38; and the male juvenile, 17.
At this time, it is believed the shooter, Devin Brown, and his mother, Sherlyn Pitts, both with an address in Baltimore, arrived at the apartment to visit her niece, Sheena Smothers, and her 17-year-old son. At some time during the visit, it is believed, Brown produced a gun and shot the three family members before turning the gun on himself.
A motive for the shootings is still unknown at this time.
“We do not have a motive that’s part of the investigation, our thoughts and prayers go out to those families that are going to be impacted in these horrific losses,” Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said. ~ WMAR-2 News
Anyone with information about this crime, or who may have video of the incident, is asked to call Detective Thumma, with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, at (443) 567-7201
For more on this tragic story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Source: HCSO)
(Cover photo, 300 block of Trimble Road, Image credit: Google Maps)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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