An at-risk teenager spiraled out of control in the small southern town of Elkmont, in the northern part of Alabama, after discovering the truth about his family’s history, channeling his rage into increasingly destructive acts.  The 14-year-old boy had just learned that his mother was not his biological parent.

Initially, the troubled teen vented his fury on defenseless animals, burning them alive. His aggression escalated, leading him to break into his school during off-hours. But the darkness consuming him had even more sinister plans in store.

Fueled by the anguish of his entire life being based on a lie, the teenager obtained a firearm, intending to commit an irreversible atrocity. The boy confessed killing his father, 38-year-old John Sisk; his stepmother, Mary Sisk, 35– the woman he believed to be his biological mother until recently; his 6-year-old half-brother; his 5-year-old half-sister; and his 6-month-old half-brother, brutally murdering them all.

The boy’s cousin, Daisy McCarty, had noticed his bizarre behavior ever since he discovered the truth about his parentage. The shocking revelation occurred at least a week before the tragic murders. His biological mother died in 2011 in Indiana, and his father had been granted full custody in 2010.

Following the gruesome massacre, the teenager was charged with the murders in juvenile court. Alabama’s legal system can only hold him in a juvenile detention facility for a year, meaning he would be released back into society relatively soon.

However, the teenager could be a candidate for being tried as an adult, given the severity of his crimes and the danger he poses to the public, as the state’s laws also allow for children to be tried as adults, provided that a judge approves the motion.

The maximum sentence Alabama permits its judges to impose is detention until the offender’s 21st birthday. As the community grapples with the shock of the heinous murders, investigators continue their search for the murder weapon – a 9mm handgun. The teenager has confessed to the killings and is assisting law enforcement in locating the weapon. It remains unclear how the underage killer managed to acquire the firearm.

The chilling events that unfolded on Ridge Road in Limestone County serve as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of long-held secrets and the devastating impact they can have on a fragile young mind.

WATCH the video below for more details:

Sources: AWM, CNN, Waaytv