In the quiet community of Lexington Park, Maryland, a chain of events unfolded on the evening of Monday, February 26, 2024, that would culminate in the tragic death of 23-year-old Malic Quinn Freeland. Emergency personnel were initially dispatched to the intersection of Valley Drive and Fox Ridge Road for what appeared to be a single-vehicle accident. Upon arrival, they discovered a car that had gone off the road, crashing into a fence and a large shed.
Inside the wreckage, they found the sole occupant, Malic Quinn Freeland, unconscious and trapped.
As firefighters worked to extricate him from the vehicle, it became terrifyingly clear that this was no ordinary car crash. Freeland was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was quickly transported by a Maryland State Police helicopter to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Malic Quinn Freeland succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. The subsequent investigation by the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office revealed that the car accident was a direct result of Freeland having been shot, and the case was officially ruled a homicide. His body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.
The investigation into Freeland's death led authorities to 22-year-old Joseph Daren Brooks of Lexington Park. On September 9, 2024, Brooks was indicted on multiple charges, including first and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and possession of a firearm in a felony or violent crime. The indictment also brought to light the alleged involvement of two other individuals, Jontae Proctor and Zahlir Gantt, who are accused of conspiring with Brooks in Freeland's murder. Investigators also discovered that the red Hyundai Elantra involved in the incident had been reported stolen earlier on the day of the shooting and was later found less than five miles from the crime scene.
Joseph Daren Brooks has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is also facing separate charges of attempted murder and assault in connection with another shooting that occurred on March 9, 2024. In that incident, a male victim was found with a gunshot wound to the neck. Court documents allege that Brooks conspired with Zahlir Gantt in this attack as well. Brooks remains in custody without bond as the legal proceedings for both cases move forward.
