Alabama 14-Year-Old Confesses to Killing His Entire Family
A 14-year-old boy in the small town of Elkmont, Alabama has confessed to killing five members of his immediate family, including his father, his stepmother, and his three siblings. The weapon, a handgun, was found on the side of the road shortly after his confession, Steve Young, a spokesperson for the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, said in a press conference.
Per local news station WAFF, the shooting occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Monday evening. At about 1:15 a.m., the 14-year-old boy called 911, saying that he was in the basement and had heard gunshots upstairs.
Police arrived at the home to find that the 14-year-old’s 38-year-old father John Sisk, his 35-year-old stepmother Mary, his 6-year-old brother, his 5-year-old sister, and his 6-month-old brother had all been shot. Three of the victims were already deceased when authorities arrived, while two were in critical condition and died of their injuries after being transported to the hospitals.
At first, the 14-year-old — who has not yet been publicly identified due to his status as a minor — stuck to his story that he had been in the basement the whole time. At around 3:00 a.m., however, he ended up confessing to authorities, admitting that he had tossed the murder weapon, a handgun, on the side of the road. Police were later able to successfully locate the weapon, which appeared to have been purchased illegally, according to a tweet from the Limestone County Sheriff Office.
The victim’s stepmother, Mary, was a middle school special education teacher at Huntsville City Schools in Alabama, according to the school website. His father John worked at a local car dealership. The two had welcomed their youngest child in February 2019, according to a Bump.com registry under both of their names.
While a motive for the shootings is still unclear, the 14-year-old boy is currently being held at a juvenile detainment facility and is being charged with five counts of juvenile murder. Young said it was possible the teenage boy could later be tried as an adult.
Following news of the shootings, Limestone County school district issued a statement on Facebook and Twitter mourning the victims. “We are concentrating our efforts in assisting our students, faculty and community in dealing with this tragedy,” the statement reads.
Below is the Limestone County School’s statement regarding the shooting that happened late last night in Elkmont.
We have team coverage today on @waff48 . Tune in at NOON and in the evening for live updates. pic.twitter.com/TXGMHgFqd5
— Jenna Rae WAFF 48 (@journalismjenna) September 3, 2019