A quiet Florida apartment complex has been rocked by a horrific tragedy after a woman and her three young children were shot and killed, allegedly by the father of two of the children. The devastating incident unfolded Thursday evening in Pembroke Park, near Miami, leaving residents stunned and grieving.
Julie Cruz, 32, was found dead alongside her 11-year-old son Xion Solomon and twin two-year-olds, Nova and Emery McKenzie. Authorities with the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the bodies were discovered around 7:30 p.m. inside the family’s home on Hallandale Beach Boulevard. An eight-year-old girl was also shot and remains hospitalized in serious condition.
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Stephen McKenzie, 35, is accused of opening fire on the family before turning the gun on himself. He survived the self-inflicted wound and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. While Cruz and McKenzie shared the two youngest children, the exact nature of their relationship is still unclear.
“All the circumstances surrounding this case, what took place, what motivated this horrifying incident, and the death of this mother and these children are still under investigation,” said Claudinne Caro of the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Neighbors, still reeling from the violent scene, described hearing multiple gunshots and the heart-wrenching cries of children before silence fell over the complex.
“It’s crazy, because I saw the family many times. We live in the same building,” one resident told NBC Miami. “They looked like normal people, but you never know the problems people have.” Juan Feliciano, who lives nearby, recalled hearing gunfire followed by “total silence.” He said the family had lived in the building for over 15 years and always appeared happy. “Never thought this would happen,” he said.
“They had a little boy… who was sweet.” Another neighbor described the father as attentive and loving, regularly seen walking his children to school. “They were very quiet. Never loud, never arguing. Just a tragedy,” she said. “Matter of fact… 20 minutes before it happened, he was doing laundry. The laundry basket is still in the laundry room.”
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Richard Rainey, who entered the apartment after hearing what he thought were fireworks, was horrified to find bodies lying in blood. “There was a massacre in there,” he told the Miami Herald.
The suspect’s stepmother, Deon McKenzie, expressed disbelief: “He was always so respectful. I wouldn’t dream of seeing him doing something like this. He was so loving to the kids. That part really gets to me.” The investigation is ongoing as a devastated community searches for answers in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy.
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