LEONARDTOWN, Md. – State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Keion Steven Brooks, 27, of Great Mills, Maryland, was sentenced to LIFE plus 45 years in prison for his participation in a drive-by shooting, which killed one teenager and endangered the lives of five additional teenagers.
On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 3:21 p.m., deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to Pegg Road in Lexington Park for a reported shooting. Deputies arrived on scene and located two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds. One victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Following a multi-day jury trial that concluded in November 2024, a St. Mary’s County jury convicted Brooks of one count of first-degree murder, for the killing of one teenage victim, and five counts of attempted first-degree murder for the attempted killing of the five additional teenage victims.
“This sentence demonstrates our office’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting senseless gun violence resulting in the loss of innocent life,” said State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling. “Although we could never make each of these victims and victims’ families whole, I hope each of them can finally find peace and feel that justice has been delivered for the young man whose life was stolen and for every teenager who was targeted in this cowardly act of violence.”
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Donna C. Pettersen presented the sentencing hearing on behalf of the citizens of St. Mary’s County.
Detective Austin Schultz and Sergeant Taylore Nauman of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were the lead investigators.
The Honorable Joseph M. Stanalonis presided over the case.
This is very sad I was on his first jury and half of us did not believe he did this. There was no evidence showing he was the shoooter or that this was pre meditated. The states attorney office was hung up on a text that he was going to slide. Meaning he was going to slid out of the house to be with friends. Regardless it’s very sad that a life was lost. But I do not believe Keon was the one that did the killing.
I was on his jury duty too the for his first trial. One of the jurors made many racial comments about his family being on benefits. That made it end in a mistrial. But the most shocking part was that one of the boys in the car said that he alone did the shooting and that Mr brooks had nothing to do with it and that he just happened to be in the car. I believe this man should be set free.
We don’t need St. Mary’s to become like our surrounding cities. If a person makes a choice to use a gun in criminal activity then he/she/they should pay a severe penalty. A resident of this community for the past 32 years thank the judeg, police and all involved in this sentencing and for making our community safe from one’s who resort to using guns to commit crimes and murder.
He was not the shooter. There was one gun in the car. The person that did the shooting took full responsibility and was already sentenced.
He was not even the shooter. The person with the gun the one that pulled the trigger took responsibility for the whole thing.
Great job to the investigators, States Attorney, Jury and the Judge. The accused got a fair trial based on the facts. The law-abiding citizens got justice.
He was convicted in Nov. of 2024. He was sentenced in Sept. of 2025. Why does it take 10 months to determine his sentence?
I don’t understand why he was sentenced so hard. He was not the shooter. The other boy that did the shooting took full responsibility and stated he did this on his own.
People, your State’s Attorney, Jaymi Sterling, who won her position on false pretenses and ran as a product of some vendetta against her former boss because he understood she was a terrible attorney, is being counter-productive in her approach to criminal justice. Just look at all the trials her office is losing! How many prosecutors have left that office since she started? How many issues have been swept under the rug? How many federal and state funds have been misappropriated? Her karma is coming soon.