Facebook/School photo Mason Sisk's father, John Sisk, and stepmother, Mary Sisk.
Mason Sisk, only 14, was identified by family members to WAAY 31-TV as the teenage boy in Elkmont, Alabama who is accused of shooting five members of his own family to death, including his father, stepmother and three young siblings.
One of the siblings was only an infant. Heavy has also confirmed that the adult male victim, John Sisk, had a 14-year-old son named Mason Sisk. However, authorities have not yet officially named the suspect in the family murders because he’s a juvenile and only facing juvenile murder charges at this time. They said, though, that this could change and the suspect could be waived into adult court and even theoretically face the death penalty.
John and Mary Sisk, the parents shot to death with their three young children in Elkmont, Alabama, were a car dealer tech known as “Dub Diesel” and a middle school special education teacher.
WAFF-TV reported that a first cousin provided a possible motive: She says Mason had just learned that Mary wasn’t his real mother. He had also burned live animals and broken into his school, she said.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Mason Sisk Was Once an Elementary School Honor Student & His High School Brought Counselors In After the Tragedy
Although he was very young, things looked fairly promising for Mason Sisk based on old newspaper articles that show he made the honor roll in first and fourth grade. Authorities haven’t said what allegedly led the teen to slay his entire family.
Counselors were made available at the local high school the teenager attended in the wake of the shooting. “Please be in prayer for our school and community. We will have extra counselors at school today,” wrote Elkmont High School on Facebook. His former babysitter said the family always seemed loving.
“Limestone County Schools is deeply saddened by the tragic event,” Karen Tucker said in an email to CNN. She confirmed that the suspect attended that school district. “We are concentrating our efforts in assisting our students, faculty and community in dealing with this tragedy. Additional school counselors and Limestone County Health Department Counselors are on site. These individuals will be available for as long as there is a need.”
Steven Young, the public information office for the Limestone Sheriff’s Office in Alabama, called the shootings a “tragedy on a scale” not familiar to tiny Elkmont, population just over 400. He said the shootings would have a ripple effect in the small town. “This affects all of us.”
He identified victim John Sisk, 38, as the “father of the offender” and said Mary Sisk, 35, was the “stepmother of the offender….the offender is 14 years of age and is currently charged with five counts of juvenile murder.” The teen could later face adult charges, even capital murder, Young added.
The children killed were a brother of the suspect who was just 6 months old; a sister, 5; and a brother, 6. (Heavy has learned the older children killed were named Aurora and Kane and the infant was named Coleson.)
A woman wrote on Facebook that the family had just returned from a vacation to Florida, writing, “This family had just spent the holiday weekend with a good friend of mine in Pensacola.. they couldn’t have been home long when he did this. She is devastated?.” She then added that the family had returned home the night of the shootings.
2. Police Say Mason Confessed to the Crimes & Led Them to the Gun
#Whileyouweresleeping in the small community of Elkmont Alabama a 14 year old has confessed to killing his entire family with a handgun! His father and… t.co/D81DXCFGEZ
Police gave a chilling account of what they say happened when they arrived at the home. They say the teenage suspect called 911 himself. He indicated at first that he heard gunshots while in the family's basement, but then recanted that claim and confessed, according to Steve Young, spokesman for the Limestone County Sheriff's Department.
"The offender called 911…he met deputies in the driveway and told them he had been in the basement of the home and heard gunshots from the main level of the home upstairs," Young said.
"He said he ran out the door and there was very little other information given." However, "discrepancies were found in his statement," according to Young. Officials confronted him with discrepancies and the teen "admitted to shooting the five family members" who all lived in the residence, said Young. He then assisted officials in finding the gun. "It was illegally in the residence," said Young, although he didn't explain why.
The Limestone County Sheriff's Department wrote on Twitter: "Five people have been shot at a residence in the [25000 block of Ridge Rd.] in Elkmont. Three confirmed dead at the scene, two were airlifted in critical condition."
The Sheriff's Department later posted this update: "UPDATE: The two subjects in critical condition have died. The 14-year old caller was interviewed and confessed to shooting all five members of his family in the residence. He is currently assisting investigators in locating the weapon, a 9mm handgun that he said he tossed nearby." They added: "Investigators have recovered the handgun from the side of the road nearby where it had been tossed..”
3. Mason Sisk Lost His Mother at a Young Age & Was the Subject of a Custody Battle
FacebookJohn Sisk
An obituary for the teenager’s mother says she died suddenly in 2011. It does not give a cause of death. She was 31 years old at the time and had roots in Indiana. At the time, in addition to the teen suspect, she had a second son who was a baby. She also had a child who preceded her in death. She wasn’t married to John Sisk at the time of her death (she was married to a different man), although another family obituary states that her last name used to be Sisk.
John Wayne Sisk and the mother took out a marriage license in 2000 in Indiana, old newspaper articles show.
Journalist Terry reported that Sisk had asked Alabama courts for full custody of the boy in 2010 because his mother was “unfit to raise him.” At the time, the suspect was 6 years old.
4. Mary Sisk Described Herself as the Mother of ‘Four Beautiful Children’ & Her Husband Was Trying to Find More Spirituality in His Life
Mary Sisk
In her school teaching biography, Mary Sisk presented a picture of a happy family life.
According to her Mountain Gap Schools page, Mary Sisk had worked in education “for over 10 years working with students in all walks of life.” She was listed as working in grade 7 in the special education department at a middle school.
She mentioned her family. “I am happily married with a great husband and four beautiful children,” she wrote. “I am originally from New Orleans and really miss the food! I am currently working on furthering my education with the support of my amazing family!”
Mary listed her education as a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degree in special education from Southeastern Louisiana University. She also had certifications in special education, “mental retardation,” and specific learning disability, the website bio reads.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the tragedy involving one of our teachers, Mary Sisk, and her family,” a Huntsville school press release says. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Sisk family and we ask everyone to remember them during this difficult time.”
John and Mary Sisk’s baby registry at Target says their youngest child was due in February 2019. Aurora, another of the victims, was known as “Rorrie,” and was born in 2014, according to a birth announcement that lists the suspect as 9 years old at the time.
John Sisk wrote on LinkedIn that he was a “PDI Tech” for a car dealership in Huntsville, Alabama and described his duties as “put new vehicles in the service to be sold.”
Before that he was an internet sales manager for Rocket Harley Davidson in Huntsville for three years. He completed the Paul Mitchell School in Huntsville in cosmetology. “Graduated with cutting honors, color honors, texture honors, and Deans list,” he wrote. The Paul Mitchell School paid tribute to John Sisk on Facebook, writing, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our Paul Mitchell Alumni, John Sisk. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family during this time. ❤️”
He also had an associate’s degree in diesel mechanics technology/technician from Lincoln Tech – Indianapolis and in shop management. Mary Sisk had endorsed some of the skills he listed on LinkedIn.
Sisk had an arrest history. In February 2019, a local newspaper ran this arrest report for him: “John Wayne Sisk, 38, of 25019 Ridge Road, Elkmont, first-degree burglary.” He also has a criminal history in Indiana that resulted in a conviction in a felony case. Felons are prohibited from possessing firearms.
In the recent case, journalist Breken Terry reported on WAAY-TV that John Sisk was “charged with armed burglary” and court documents say Sisk was accused of going to a man’s home “with the intent to rob him then used a pistol to assault the victim and caused harm to him.” The case was still “playing out in the court system.”
However, a friend, Ron Henson, told AL.com that John Sisk was a “bigger than life character…real outgoing” and that he was focusing more on family and spirituality. He enjoyed riding motorcycles.
“One of the last texts I got from John Sisk, the new man formerly known as Dub Diesel…” wrote Henson in a Facebook tribute.
“Father, I choose to believe that I am not a victim, but that I can be victorious in Christ Jesus. I put my life into your hands. Help me to catch the little foxes that spoil the vine. Restore me from all effects of emotional trauma and abuse. I choose to believe that all things are possible. Now turn my sorrows into places where your abounding grace has the final say. For the glory of God and in Jesus’ name, amen!”
A friend asked Henson of that text, “That text was him turning his life over?” Henson responded, “Yes, and we prayed together often.”
“Dub was a wonderful man who bent over backwards to help my mother every chance he could. Rest In Peace dub! I know this family will miss you and be entirely grateful for you did for our mom,” wrote another friend on Facebook of John Sisk.
5. A Neighbor Recalled How Mason Sisk Used to Go to Church & Come Over to Play
On Facebook, a man who identified himself as a neighbor, wrote an emotional post about the shootings that gave some details about Mason Sisk.
“I’ve been thinking about the shooting that happened next door. About all of the people affected. About the property owners, the VFD, the neighbors watching between the mini blinds, the people who have relatives on our street, the local school,” he wrote. “This is surreal. The teenage boy used to play at our house often as a kid. He came in and played and ate snacks. We carried him to church occasionally.”
He added: “It’s hard to imagine what has happened in 14 years to come to a point that wiping out your entire family seems like the best option. Now he has no one. I’m sure he’s realized that he now has no one to console him. No one to wrap him in a hug……Ever. What if it were your grandson or nephew or your child’s playmate?”
The neighbor continued, “He’s brought this upon himself. He’s rocked a community. There’s no denying his heinous act. Who’s in his corner? Jesus. Jesus is ready to forgive. Jesus forgave me a lot of horrible things. Jesus forgave you a lot of horrible things too. Sure, there are going to be some severe consequences. The fallout will be horrendous. But, Christians are called to be like Christ. Christ who forgave those who crucified Him. When you pray for our ‘good’ neighbors, don’t forget to pray for this kid.”
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