In the quiet hours of a summer morning in Atlanta, a devastating tragedy unfolded, leaving a family shattered and a community in shock. On July 12, 1999, 9-year-old Antuan Lucas, a Black male, was among six family members who lost their lives in a brutal act of domestic violence. The horrific event was set in motion when Antuan's mother, 33-year-old Deleane Briskey, decided to end her relationship with her boyfriend, Cyrano Marks.
Angered by the breakup, Marks armed himself with a pistol
and herded the family into the master bedroom. When they attempted to scatter and escape the house, a violent rampage ensued. Marks moved from room to room, and in the end, six members of the family lay dead. The victims of the shooting were Antuan Lucas; his 13-year-old brother, David Antonio Lucas Jr.; his 15-year-old brother, Craig DeCarlo Briskey; his 16-year-old sister, Tasha Briskey; his mother, Deleane Briskey; and his 37-year-old aunt, Essie Jo Hugley.
The sole survivor of the massacre was Antuan's 11-year-old brother. From his hospital bed, the young boy recounted the harrowing ordeal to the police. He described being dragged through the house by Marks as he shot his family members. The boy managed to break free and hide in a closet, but Marks discovered him. Marks placed a pillow in front of the boy's face and fired, the bullet striking his elbow. The boy feigned death, and shortly after, he heard one final gunshot. Marks had turned the gun on himself, ending his own life. For eight long hours, the terrified child huddled in the closet before finally running to a neighbor's house for help. As the perpetrator died by suicide at the scene of the crime, no arrests were made, and the case did not proceed to trial.
