LANDOVER, MD – A tragic murder-suicide involving an 11-year-old girl and her 38-year-old stepfather took place in Landover, Maryland, on Wednesday night, according to the Prince George’s Police Department.
Upon responding to a report of a shooting around 9:30 p.m., officers found Mailyn Turkes and her stepfather, Curtis Lynch, both of Landover, suffering from gunshot wounds inside their home in the 6900 block of Stansbury Lane. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Authorities also found another female victim, who is related to both victims, suffering from gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a hospital and is currently in a critical but stable condition. According to early investigations, Lynch is believed to have shot the woman and Mailyn before turning the gun on himself.
Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz mourned the loss of Mailyn, expressing sorrow over her future being tragically cut short. He added that Mailyn, the adult female, and their families did not deserve this horrific fate.
Landover witnessed 26 homicides involving family members last year, Aziz said, without providing further details about the relationship between Lynch and the other female victim or what might have triggered the shooting.
County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks characterized Mailyn as a valuable young member of the community whose death had deeply shaken everyone. She said the event signified a distressing rise in domestic and family-related violence. Out of the 11 homicides reported in the county this year, six have been linked to domestic violence.
Alsobrooks stressed that the welfare of a community could be evaluated in many instances by how children are treated. Expressing her heartbreak, she emphasized that such occurrences should be stopped.