In the summer of 1999, a domestic dispute escalated into a horrific act of violence that claimed the lives of a mother and five of her children in Atlanta, Georgia. Deleane Briskey, a 33-year-old African American woman, was shot and killed on July 12, 1999, by her former boyfriend, Cyrano Marks. The tragedy, which unfolded in Briskey's home, was a brutal culmination of a relationship marked by a history of domestic violence.
The perpetrator, Cyrano Marks, was reportedly angered by
Briskey's decision to end their relationship. In a premeditated act of violence, Marks went to Briskey's residence and systematically shot and killed her, her sister, Essie Jo Huguley, 37, and four of Briskey's children: Tasha Briskey, 16; Craig DeCarlo Briskey, 15; David Antonio Lucas Jr., 13; and Antuan Lucas, 9. After carrying out the murders, Marks turned the gun on himself, ending his own life.
The sole survivor of the massacre was Briskey's 11-year-old son, Santonio Lucas, who managed to hide in a closet during the rampage. Despite being discovered and shot in the elbow, he pretended to be dead and later sought help from a neighbor after the ordeal. His harrowing account provided law enforcement with the details of the tragic events. The investigation confirmed the incident as a murder-suicide, and with the perpetrator deceased, the case did not proceed to trial. The community mourned the immense loss of life, and the funerals for Deleane Briskey and her family served as a somber reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence.
