What to Know
- Four relatives, including a 1-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, were found dead in a Brooklyn home in March.
- The medical examiner now says the 27-year-old man, Terrance D. Briggs, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
- The other three victims, including Briggs' 1-year-old daughter, died of gunshot wounds in a manner of homicide.
The New York City medical examiner has released autopsy results on the four relatives -- including a 1-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy -- found shot dead inside a Brooklyn apartment last month.
Terrance Briggs, 27, died of a gunshot wound to the head in a suicide, according to the medical examiner.
His daughter, 1-year-old Layla Briggs, died of a gunshot wound to the head; his stepbrother, 16-year-old Loyed Drain III died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso, with injuries to the brain, aorta, spinal cord and right lung; and Drain's stepfather, 57-year-old Loyed Drain Jr., died of gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
The manner of death for the three victims is homicide.
All four were pronounced dead inside a three-bedroom apartment at Riverdale Towers, on Thatford Avenue in Brownsville, after cops responded to a 911 call around 5 a.m. on March 14. Another family member found the bodies and called police.
A gun, bullet and shell casings were recovered at the scene, which authorities described as a horror.
"In the nature of this business we deal with death and tragic scenes, but when it involves an infant it's extremely tough," Brooklyn North Assistant Chief and Commanding Officer Jeffrey Maddrey said at the time.
Police haven't determined a motive in the case.
Neighbors and friends of the victims described the family as social and well known in the area.
"My heart is so numb right now. Again, numb," said Vanessa Swain, a family friend. "Something knocking on my door at 7 o'clock in the morning ... all of them gone."
