In the quiet neighborhood of Pittman Creek Court in Lexington, Kentucky, a tragedy unfolded on a late February morning that left a family and community in mourning. On Sunday, February 28, 2016, police responded to a call of an assault with a weapon around 11 a.m. Inside a house, they found 36-year-old Sukenia Rice, a female, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead just after noon, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.
Known affectionately as 'Missy' to her friends and family, Sukenia was a mother to three children: Masha, Elgie, and Brooklyn.
The man responsible for Sukenia's death was identified as 37-year-old Antonio Brooks. Less than an hour after shooting Rice, Brooks was taken to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The coroner ruled his death a suicide, making the tragic event an apparent murder-suicide.
Further investigation into Antonio Brooks revealed a history with the law. At the time of the incident, he was out on bond for misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving under the influence. His criminal record also included previous jail sentences for robbery, drug possession, and 'assault under extreme emotional disturbance.' The community was left to grapple with the sudden and violent loss of a mother, remembered by those who knew her as a wonderful person.
