After serving nearly three years in federal prison for shooting her husband after learning he had sexually abused children at her daycare in Baltimore, Shanteari Young says she is ready to move forward.
Released in June from FMC Lexington and fully released from supervision in December, the 53-year-old former Baltimore County daycare owner is opening up about what comes next.
Young first made headlines in 2022 when she shot her then-husband in his hotel room at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (which has since been rebranded as the Black-owned Salamander) in Washington, DC, after discovering that he had sexually abused a child who attended Lil Kidz Kastle Daycare Center. She later served a federal sentence connected to the shooting. While she was incarcerated, she divorced him and in 2024 testified against him at trial, marking the first time she had seen him since the incident.
Her ex-husband, James Weems, 60, of Randallstown, was convicted in Baltimore County Circuit Court on multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl who attended the daycare. At sentencing in April 2025, Circuit Judge Michael J. Finifter said he believed Weems used his experience as a retired Baltimore Police officer to “perpetrate these heinous crimes.”
Even with her prison sentence behind her, Young’s legal challenges are not fully resolved. She is named as a defendant in three pending civil lawsuits tied to the daycare, which has since closed. Speaking to the Baltimore Banner, she said, while she has no regrets, she does not want others to follow her path or carry out vigilante justice, noting that her entire life changed in 72 hours.
Still, she says she is determined to turn a devastating chapter into something constructive.
Young is advocating for legislation that would require child care providers to complete specific training focused on identifying, preventing, and reporting abuse. The measure was introduced by Sean Stinnett, a Democrat from Baltimore.
She also plans to launch a nonprofit, Opened Umbrellas 4 Lil Kidz LLC, to support children who have experienced sexual abuse and their families. In addition, she is working to finish a book about her experience titled “My Protector,” which she hopes to complete this spring.
“I want to show people that something catastrophic can happen to you, but you can rebuild and you can move on,” Young said. “I’m trying to change this into a positive situation and help people.”
