HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — A Columbia mother who shot and wounded two teens learned her fate Friday.
Dieneba Sekou Traore, 48, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting, which occurred in a shopping center parking lot.
On October 12, 2024, officers responded to the 8800 block of Centre Park Drive and found the two teens suffering from gunshot wounds to the legs.
Both victims were lying in the grassy area between the Giant shopping store and the IHOP that's not too far.
Witnesses at the scene told police that they saw someone fire shots at the victims before getting into the back passenger seat of a white SUV.
Surveillance video revealed the two victims were among a group of four teens walking through the Giant Food parking lot.
The white SUV was seen driving into the parking lot before the shooting and leaving the parking lot after the shooting.
Investigators later found that the SUV was registered to Traore, who told police that her son was the victim of an armed robbery that occurred on October 7.
"This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of taking the law into your own hands," said State's Attorney Rich Gibson, Jr. "Vigilante justice has no place in Howard County, and it will not be tolerated. Instead of seeking lawful avenues for accountability, the defendant chose violence; leaving two young people seriously injured and a community shaken. Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of those actions and reaffirms our commitment to protecting our residents by ensuring that justice is carried out in the courtroom, not in the streets."
Following Traore's release, officials say she will be placed on five years supervised probation.
