In a tragic turn of events in a fourth-floor apartment in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, a family was shattered by a devastating act of violence. Terrance Briggs, a 27-year-old male, was at the center of the horrific incident that left four people, including himself, dead. The grim discovery was made in the early morning hours of March 14, 2018, by Patricia Green, Briggs' mother and the grandmother of his infant daughter.
The night before the tragic discovery, Briggs had been in contact with his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his one-year-old daughter, Laylay. He reportedly expressed a desire to reconcile for the sake of their child. It is believed that her refusal, coupled with his ongoing struggles with schizophrenia for which he was not currently medicated, may have contributed to his subsequent actions. Briggs had a history of domestic disputes with his stepfather, which had previously involved threats of violence.
Inside the family's apartment at the Riverdale Osborne Towers, a horrifying scene unfolded. Investigators believe Briggs first shot and killed his 57-year-old stepfather, Loyd Drain Jr., in the bathroom. He then moved to a bedroom where he fatally shot his 16-year-old half-brother, Loyd Drain III, who was reportedly playing video games. His final victim was his own daughter, one-year-old Laylay, whom he killed in another bedroom. After taking the lives of his family members, Terrance Briggs then turned the gun on himself, ending his own life in the same room where his daughter lay.
The motive for the triple murder-suicide is thought to be rooted in the ongoing family conflicts and Briggs' personal struggles. Police recovered a firearm and shell casings from the apartment, confirming the violent nature of the deaths. The incident was investigated as a murder-suicide, with Terrance Briggs identified as the perpetrator of the killings. As Briggs was deceased, there were no arrests made in connection with the deaths of Loyd Drain Jr., Loyd Drain III, and Laylay Briggs.
