A vigilante mom was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday after a Howard County jury found her guilty of shooting two teens in a Columbia shopping center.

Dieneba Sekou Traore, 48, was found guilty of two counts each of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and firearm use in the commission of a crime of violence, as well as charges related to conspiracy. Her sentence includes five years of supervised probation following her release from prison.

“This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of taking the law into one’s own hands,” Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson Jr. said in a statement Friday. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those actions and reaffirms our commitment to protecting our residents by ensuring that justice is carried out in the courtroom, not in the streets.”

Traore’s attorney, Latoya A. Francis-Williams, did not respond immediately to a message requesting comment Friday evening.

The shooting took place just after 9 p.m. Oct. 12, 2024, and left two young people with gunshot wounds to their legs. The teens were found lying in a grassy area between the Giant grocery store and the IHOP in the Columbia Place Plaza, according to a news release.

Witnesses to the incident told investigators that the shooter left the scene in the back passenger seat of a white SUV. Police reviewed surveillance footage of the parking lot and connected the vehicle to Traore, who had reported to police just days earlier that her son was the victim of an armed robbery.

“Vigilante justice has no place in Howard County, and it will not be tolerated,” Gibson said in the statement. “Instead of seeking lawful avenues for accountability, the defendant chose violence, leaving two young people seriously injured and a community shaken.”

Although gun violence in Columbia is rare, recent incidents involving teens has galvanized leaders across county government into action. Earlier this year, Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der rolled out a crime reduction plan for the downtown area and created a permanent police unit for the area around the mall, Lake Kittamaqundi and the Merriweather District.

Traore’s trial was prosecuted by state’s attorneys Patricia Cecil and Tiffany Vaira. It lasted two weeks.