VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said a man will serve 15 years in prison for burglarizing his mother-in-law's home and shooting her in 2018.
A judge sentenced Bradley Jay Brown, 30, on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Brown's mother-in-law returned to her town house on Bancroft Drive on August 2, 2018. She found that her lights weren't working after someone cut the power outside. She noticed the silhouette of a man, whom she later identified as Brown. Investigators said Brown began to shoot at her. She ran down the hallway and locked herself in the bathroom while Brown continued to fire.
She began to scream for help and banged on the wall of the bathroom. A neighbor heard her and called for help.
By the time police arrived, Brown had left. His mother-in-law had been shot in the arm.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said she had serious nerve damage as a result of the shooting and that she still is unable to use her arm and hand the way she did before being hurt.
There had been disagreements between her and Brown prior to the shooting.
Police stopped Brown while he was in the vicinity of the the town house shortly after the shooting and asked him why he was there. They recovered a number of shell casings from the town house.
Brown's roommate ended up calling police to tell them there was a gun n their home that wasn't there before. Investigators said the shell casings they found at the town house were a match for the gun they recovered from Brown's home. They also said his hands had gunshot primer residue on them.
Brown was sentenced Tuesday to 39 years in prison, with 24 years suspended, leaving the 15 years he's expected to serve.
The sentencing was based on the following charges:
- Aggravated Malicious Wounding
- Burglary at Nighttime with a Deadly Weapon
- Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of a Weapon/Ammunition/Explosive by a Convicted Felon
- Larceny of a Firearm
- Discharging a Firearm in an Occupied Dwelling- Maliciously
- Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Non-Violent) within 10 Years
Brown had a prior conviction for Attempted Burglary.
