In the summer of 1999, a domestic dispute in Atlanta, Georgia, escalated into a horrific act of violence that claimed the life of 15-year-old Craig DeCarlo Briskey and five of his family members. Craig, an African American male, was among those killed on July 12, 1999, in a mass shooting carried out by his mother's boyfriend. The tragedy unfolded in their southwest Atlanta home, leaving a community in shock and mourning the senseless loss of life.
The perpetrator was identified as Cyrano
Marks, who was reportedly enraged over a recent breakup with Craig's mother, 33-year-old Deleane Briskey. In a violent rampage, Marks shot and killed Deleane, four of her children—Craig, 16-year-old Tasha Briskey, 13-year-old David Antonio Lucas Jr., and 9-year-old Antuan Lucas—and Deleane's 37-year-old sister, Essie Jo Huguley. The only person to escape with their life was Deleane's 11-year-old son, Santonio Lucas, who was wounded but managed to survive by hiding in a closet and pretending to be dead.
Authorities were alerted to the gruesome scene after Santonio, despite his injuries, bravely made his way to a neighbor's house to seek help. The investigation that followed painted a grim picture of domestic violence, revealing that Marks had a history of such behavior. The motive behind the killings was attributed to the tumultuous relationship between Marks and Deleane Briskey and his inability to cope with their separation.
The case, however, would never see a courtroom. After carrying out the murders, Cyrano Marks took his own life, ending the manhunt before it could truly begin. His suicide brought a swift but unsatisfying conclusion to the investigation, leaving a devastated family and community to grapple with the immense loss. The funerals for Craig DeCarlo Briskey and his family were held amidst profound grief, a somber reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence.
