Tucker Cipriano was born on April 5, 1993, in the state of Michigan, United States. Raised in a suburban area of Farmington Hills, Tucker grew up in what appeared to be a relatively stable, middle-class family. His adoptive father, Robert Cipriano, was a well-regarded employee at the Farmington Public Schools district, and his mother, Rose Cipriano, was devoted to raising their children, which included both biological and adopted siblings.

Throughout his youth, Tucker exhibited behavioral issues that reportedly escalated in severity as he entered adolescence. By his late teenage years, he was known to be struggling with drug abuse, particularly synthetic marijuana (commonly referred to as K2 or Spice), a substance linked to severe mood disorders and psychotic episodes. His relationship with his family deteriorated as he became increasingly volatile and detached. Tucker reportedly left home at various times and engaged in minor criminal activity before returning. Prior to the attack in 2012, he had been living with friends and had become entangled in a downward spiral of drug addiction, paranoia, and erratic behavior.

Friends and acquaintances later testified that Tucker displayed signs of delusional thinking, obsessively talking about death, demons, and paranoia about being watched or pursued. By the time of the attack, his mental state had deteriorated to the point where rational thinking was absent, and he was easily manipulated by those around him, including his friend and co-conspirator, Mitchell Young.

In early April 2012, Tucker Cipriano and his friend Mitchell Young planned to steal from Cipriano’s family. On the night of April 15, they attempted to retrieve debit cards from Cipriano’s house but ended up frustrated after realizing that the cards were blocked. As they discussed their plans, they decided to break into the Cipriano home with the intention of committing robbery and murder.

Around 1:45 AM on April 16, Cipriano and Young dropped another friend, Ian Zinderman, off at Cipriano’s girlfriend's house. The two then returned to Cipriano’s family home. Shortly after 2:30 AM, Cipriano climbed into the garage with the help of Young. Inside, they armed themselves with bats and knives. The family's dog, Emmy, barked loudly and alerted the family.

Robert Cipriano, Tucker's father, confronted the intruders. Cipriano attacked him with a baseball bat. Young, initially hesitant, was persuaded by Cipriano to join in the assault. While Cipriano held Robert down, Young beat him with the bat until Robert did not move anymore.

During the chaos, Rosemary Cipriano, Tucker's mother, attempted to intervene. Their daughter, Isabella, also came down with a bat. Young grabbed the bat from Isabella and struck Rosemary. Meanwhile, their brother Tanner managed to hide upstairs and called 911.

By the time the police arrived, Robert Cipriano was dead. Rosemary and Salvatore suffered serious injuries from the attacks. Salvatore was left with permanent brain damage and lost his ability to speak.

Both Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young were under the influence of K2, a synthetic drug, during the attacks. Their actions led to their arrests and subsequent trials. Tucker Cipriano eventually pled no contest to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Mitchell Young was found guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree murder, and also received a life sentence without parole.