PHOTO VIA TMZ
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Anthony Tyrone Terrell Jr.,17, has been charged with three counts of murder in the fatal shooting of his mother and two younger sisters, on of which was rapper Juvenile's 4-year-old daughter.
The victims have been identified as Gwinnett County Sheriff's Deputy Joy Deleston, 39, and her two young daughters, Micaiah, 11, and Jelani, 4. They were gunned down at their family home in Lawrenceville, Georgia on Thursday (Feb. 28 ) and the motive for the murders remains unclear.
Juvenile (born Terius Gray, 32) and Joy Deleston had been to court in 2004 when she brought a paternity case against the rapper which was later resolved in 2006 with both parties agreeing that Juvenile was Jelani's father.
According to TMZ the following statement was released, "Juvenile was extremely
saddened to hear the reports. As a private matter he has no further
comment."
Terrell, a high school sophomore, is charged with three counts of murder and three counts of aggravated assault. He's currently being held without bail in the DeKalb County Jail. (source) We are saddened by the tragic news and offer our condolences to the family in their time of grief.
Police had gone to the subdivision because a caller reported shots fired, Officer David Schiralli said earlier. They found a bullet hole in a house, then checked next door because they knew a deputy lived there.
"There was no answer, but lights were on," Schiralli said. "They opened the door a little bit to announce themselves," then discovered the bodies, he said.
The 17-year-old son arrived at the house about 35 minutes later, he said. Spellman said he was arrested after talking to investigators but didn't elaborate.
Neighbors said the family had moved in less than a year ago. They often saw Deleston in her squad car coming home from work and said having a deputy around was reassuring.
Jeff Beaird, who lives across the street, said he often saw Terrell in the driveway shooting hoops with his friends or washing his mother's patrol car but doesn't remember anything out of the ordinary.
"It's so shocking because you don't expect something like this to happen," Beaird said.
Michael Hunt said he was taking a nap before starting work on the night shift Thursday when he heard the news about his neighbors. Hunt recalled that his wife had seen Terrell hours earlier walking down the street carrying a basketball.
"For him to be scared of our dog and then to kill his whole family ... it just doesn't add up," Hunt said.