Prince George's Shooter Who Killed 2 Suspected Robbers In DC Sentenced

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A 22-year-old Upper Marlboro man has been sentenced in connection to the murders of Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley that happened in July 2021 in northwest Washington, D.C.

Jalen Browne was convicted July 21 following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was found guilty of and sentenced for two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

According to the government’s evidence presented in trial, shortly after 3:38 p.m. on July 25, 2021, Browne disguised himself and walked around the 100 block of Q Street, NW, eventually lying in wait to shoot young men "enjoying the hot summer day" in the parking lot of an apartment building. Browne, using a backpack to catch his shell casings, fired 12 shots in succession at six young men. Narrowly missing three of his targets, the Browne hit 22-year old Jovan Hill, 19-year old Tariq Riley and another man in the back.

First responders found Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley on the ground. Both men were taken to nearby hospitals but they died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the back. No witnesses provided information regarding the identity of the shooter. The government presented forensic, video surveillance, circumstantial and motive evidence in securing a conviction on all counts, the prosecution stated.

D.C. detectives suspected that Browne targeted and killed Hill and Riley, both of Northwest D.C., WTOP reported, because he was robbed two months before the shooting near the same apartment parking lot that Hill, Riley and the other young men were at, according to court documents.

Browne has been sentenced to 67.5 years in prison for the two murders.