Daphne police are uncertain why a 21-year-old man murdered his grandparents, a brother and a family friend Wednesday following a horrific scenario that played out at the family’s home within a woodsy subdivision in the heart of the city.

Jared Smith-Bracy faces four counts of capital murder and could be eligible for the death penalty for killing his grandparents, 80-year-old Leonard Smith and 72-year-old Barbara Smith; his brother, 27-year-old Jeremy Smith; and a family friend who was visiting at the time, 71-year-old Shelia Glover.

He confessed to the crimes that included shooting Glover and Barbara and Jeremy Smith in the backyard of 123 Melanie Loop before returning to the house and bludgeoning his grandfather with a pickaxe.

Authorities said that Smith-Bracy then went back outside and bludgeoned the other victims with the axe.

“It’s horrific, you can use any adjective you want to, it’s not going to change,” said Daphne Police Sgt. Jason Vannoy during a news conference Thursday at the Daphne Justice Center. “It’s the worst one I’ve seen in 22 years.”

Said Baldwin County District Attorney Robert Wilters, “I can’t remember any (quadruple murders). We’ve had several with two who were killed. But three (or more)? I don’t recall.”

The killings occurred around 6 p.m. at the longtime home of Leonard and Barbara Smith, and where Smith-Bracy also resided.

Smith-Bracy was found in the woods and arrested without incident.

“He was cooperative in interviews with police, and showed no remorse,” Vannoy said. He said police were uncertain about a motive.

Smith-Bracy is scheduled to appear before a Baldwin County judge around 10 a.m. Friday for a bond hearing in Bay Minette, at which time prosecutors will recommend that he not receive bail. He is currently being held at the Baldwin County Jail.

The massacre unfolded hours after Smith-Bracy was first arrested around 9 a.m. for criminal mischief at the house in what Vannoy said was a misdemeanor incident. Smith-Bracy had been accused of damaging a door at the house, which prompted someone to call police, leading to Smith-Bracy’s initial arrest.

“I think during that initial call we responded to, he was in an agitated state of mind, and they made the determination to have (someone at the house) sign a complaint and take (Smith-Bracy) into custody,” Vannoy said.

Later in the afternoon, Smith-Bracy was bonded out from the Daphne municipal jail. He was then driven by a friend to the house, at which time Smith-Bracy grabbed the pistol and left the vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle, who police did not identify and has not been arrested, was the owner of the gun, described by Vannoy as a “glock pistol.”

The driver told Daphne police that he was unaware of Smith-Bracy’s intentions.

“The person who drove him in the car, I’m not sure if he used the exact phrasing, (but it was) out-of-the-blue,” Vannoy said. “Once he heard the shots, he called 911 and drove to a precinct to wait on officers.”

Smith-Bracy entered the house shooting his pistol, according to Vannoy. It’s unclear whether the three victims found outside had been shot inside the house or outside in the backyard, but their bodies were discovered in the backyard. Leonard Smith was found dead in his bedroom.

Shelia Glover, a retired U.S. Army veteran and postal employee in Mobile, had been visiting the family at the time.

Smith-Bracy does not have any prior criminal arrests, and authorities said they were starting to put together a complicated puzzle as to why he went on a murdering spree.

Assistant District Attorney Teresa Heinz said it’s going to take awhile before prosecutors determine whether to seek the death penalty. In Alabama, someone convicted of capital murder can be eligible for the death penalty.

“You have to look at a lot of factors, not just those surrounding the facts of the case, but … who he was, where he came from and how he was raised, his background and IQ and whether drugs and alcohol were present,” Heinz said. “Only certainly extreme cases all for the death penalty and clearly a criminal record plays into that as well. A lot of lengthy discussions come into play for that.”