In a tragic turn of events that stunned a Clayton County community, 33-year-old Lashante Holloway, a beloved special education teacher at North Clayton High School, was killed in her southwest Atlanta townhouse. The incident, which occurred on a Saturday morning, was determined by police to be a murder-suicide.
Atlanta police responded to a burglary call at the Deerwood Reserve complex and discovered the bodies of Holloway and 38-year-old Dwayne Brooks of New Orleans.
Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, and a weapon was recovered at the scene. Investigators believe that Brooks forced his way into Holloway's home by breaking a glass door.
Family members described Brooks as Holloway's ex-boyfriend and the father of her youngest child. According to reports, Brooks allowed Holloway's two children, ages 15 and 2, to leave the residence before he shot and killed Holloway and then turned the gun on himself. Neighbors indicated that Brooks may have been upset about Holloway having a new boyfriend.
The news of her violent death sent shockwaves through North Clayton High School, where she was remembered as a new teacher who had quickly made a positive impression on both students and parents. Many recalled her as a beautiful person, inside and out, who genuinely cared for her students.
