On a tragic Saturday morning, August 26, 2023, the community of Joppa, Maryland, was shaken by a devastating event that claimed the life of 65-year-old Sherlyn Ann Star Pitts. A female resident of Baltimore, Sherlyn was visiting family at an apartment in the 300 block of Trimble Road when the unthinkable occurred. What should have been a peaceful family gathering turned into a scene of immense sorrow and loss.
Authorities responded to reports of an active shooter at the residence around
11:18 a.m. Upon their swift arrival, they discovered a grim scene with multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Inside the apartment, Sherlyn Ann Star Pitts was found deceased, alongside her niece, Sheena Yvonne Smothers, age 38. The tranquil morning had been shattered by an act of violence that would leave a lasting scar on their loved ones.
The investigation into the tragic incident revealed a heart-wrenching murder-suicide. Law enforcement identified the suspect as Sherlyn's own son, 34-year-old Devin Brown of Baltimore. It is believed that for reasons that remain under investigation, Devin Brown shot his mother, his cousin Sheena, and Sheena's 17-year-old son, Jaylin Stuart, before turning the gun on himself. Jaylin was initially found with critical injuries and was rushed to the hospital, but tragically succumbed to his wounds.
The motive for this horrific act remains a somber mystery, leaving a family and community to grapple with the profound loss of three generations in a single, senseless moment. Devin Brown was identified by authorities as the sole perpetrator of the shootings, and with his death at the scene, the legal proceedings concluded in a somber resolution, leaving behind only questions and grief for the surviving family members.
