Rap star Juvenile was the father of one of three Lawrenceville residents murdered Thursday night at their home, according to court records.

Jelani Deleston, 4, who police say was gunned down with her mother and sister, was the daughter of the 32-year-old rapper, according to child-support records in Gwinnett County.

Celine Bufkin / AJC

Rap star Juvenile, whose real name is Terius Gray, is the father of victim ,Jelani Deleston, 4.

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Murder victim Joy Deleston with her son, Anthony Tyrone Terrell, now a murder suspect, and slain daughters Micaiah, 11, and Jelani, 4,

Killings baffle friends, schoolmates

The mother, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Deputy Joy Deleston, brought a paternity lawsuit against the 32-year-old rapper, whose real name is Terius Gray, in 2004.

Police say Anthony Tyrone Terrell, Deleston's 17-year-old son, killed her and her daughters Micaih, 11, and Jelani. They still don't know why he did it. Friends said he loved his sisters.

Attorney Randy Kessler, who represented Juvenile in the 2004 paternity proceedings, said the case was resolved peacefully by consent order in 2006. Both parties agreed Juvenile was the father.

Kessler said Saturday he had not talked with the rapper about the killings.

"Anytime you have a situation like that, it's shocking," Kessler told The Associated Press.

Juvenile could not be reached for comment by the Journal-Constitution or the AP. There was no mention of the incident Saturday morning on his Web site, www.juvenilerealitycheck.com.

Juvenile has been arrested several times on charges ranging from failure to pay child support to resisting an officer in a scuffle at a Florida mall in 1999. Most of the charges have been dismissed.

— Staff writers Andria Simmons and George Chidi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.