On the evening of the Fourth of July, 2026, amidst the sounds of fireworks, 31-year-old Dakota Keys was fatally shot in Capitol Heights, Maryland. At approximately 10:10 p.m., officers from the Prince George's County Police Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 1900 block of Brooks Drive. Upon arrival, they discovered Keys inside a vehicle, suffering from gunshot wounds.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the death of Dakota Keys, a mother of four, quickly focused on her ex-boyfriend, 31-year-old Terrence Penn Jr. of Temple Hills. In a turn of events, Penn fled the scene of the shooting but later turned himself into police a short time after the incident. The Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit has charged him in connection with what they have described as a domestic-related murder.
Terrence Penn Jr. faces charges of first- and second-degree murder for the death of his former girlfriend. He is currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections and is being held on a no-bond status. The case, which tragically cut short the life of a young mother on a national holiday, highlights the devastating impact of domestic violence. While an arrest has been made and charges have been filed, the legal process is still in its early stages as the case awaits future court proceedings.
