In the early morning hours of November 10, 2020, a domestic situation in Lanham, Maryland, escalated into a shocking and tragic series of events that claimed the life of 45-year-old Wadyia Brown. The female victim's life was cut short by her own brother in a violent rampage that unfolded on their residential street.
The incident began when Prince George's County Police responded to a call on Seans Terrace for a report of a potentially armed and suicidal man. That man was later identified as 36-year-old Vusumuzi Kunene, Wadyia Brown's brother. As officers arrived, the situation quickly devolved. Kunene opened fire on the responding officers, who returned fire. In the ensuing chaos, Kunene managed to steal a police cruiser.
Tragically, Wadyia Brown became the victim of her brother's violent actions. The preliminary investigation revealed that Kunene shot his sister. As she lay wounded in the street, he then struck her with the stolen police SUV. After making a U-turn, he hit her a second time, causing fatal injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the horrific act against his sister, Kunene continued his rampage, firing at a second police vehicle and ramming other police cruisers before he was ultimately shot by officers from both the Prince George's County and New Carrollton Police departments. Kunene was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation into the incident involved a review of body-worn cameras, cruiser camera video, and helicopter footage. The officers involved in the shooting were placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
