Pembroke apartments shooting leaves mother (Julie Cruz) and her 3 children dead while gunman, Stephen McKenzie hangs on to life after shooting at young family which included his two own children and one surviving child after father attempting to take his own life. Neighbors say he was quiet loving man, who must’ve snapped.
One minute he was doing household chores, then the next he was gunning down members of his own family….
A Florida man is fighting for his life after shooting and killing a woman and her three children at an apartment complex in Pembroke Park. Two of the youngest victims were identified as being the gunman’s own two kids.
Stephen McKenzie, 34, is alleged to have opened gunfire just before 7.30 p.m, Wednesday, at the apartment complex located at the 3100 block of Hallandale Beach Boulevard, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Pembroke Park Police responded to a 911 call about gunfire at the complex where they came upon the macabre sight of four deceased individuals and amazingly a single survivor.
The victims were identified as 32-year-old Julie Cruz, 11-year-old Xion Solomon, 2-year-old Nova McKenzie and 2-year-old Emery McKenzie dead inside the apartment.
The surviving child, 8-year-old girl, Phiinyx Solomon, who was also shot, was rushed to hospital, where she remained in serious condition. Broward Sheriff’s Office Public Information Office Claudinne Caro said the deceased children were all boys.
McKenzie who it is thought to have intended a murder-suicide scene, remained in hospital in critical condition after using the murder weapon on himself.
McKenzie shared the 2-year-old boys with Cruz, authorities said. The relationship dynamics between the gunman and the mother of the 2 year old children remained unclear, NBC6 reported.
Kelvin Solomon, the father of 11 year old slain boy, Xion Solomon, and surviving child, Phiinyx, said the boy died protecting his mother and his sister.
‘He’s a hero. I want to make sure that’s what he’s remembered for. He died protecting his mother and his sister,’ the father told WSVN.
A neighbor speaking to NBC6 said they heard eight shots fired.
‘It’s crazy, because I saw the family like, many times. We live just in the same building, so I saw them,’ the un-identified neighbor said. ‘They looked like normal people, but you never know the problems of the people.’
Neighbor Juan Feliciano said he heard several shots in quick succession, the children’s screams and then ‘total silence.’
He said the family has lived there for more than 15 years.
‘They looked like a happy family,’ he said in Spanish. ‘Never [thought this would happen]. I saw them in the elevator at around 6 p.m. I went outside and we ran into each other in the elevator. They had a little boy… who was sweet.’
Said another neighbor, identifying only as Beverly, ‘They were very quiet.’
Adding, ‘The father seemed very loving to his children, taking them to school every day. I would see him take them to school every day. I never heard anything loud, never arguing, nothing. You just see them come and go.’
The neighbor said in the moments prior to the shooting, McKenzie was doing chores.
“Such a tragedy. Matter of fact… 20 minutes before it happened, he was taking laundry. Matter of fact, the laundry basket is still in the laundry room,” she said
Speaking to NBC6, the suspect’s stepmother, Deon McKenzie, suspected the father ‘snapping.’
‘He was always so respectful, I wouldn’t dream of seeing him doing something like this, especially to the kids, because he was so playful with kids, loving to kids. That part really gets to me, he has to be going through something,’ Deon McKenzie said.
A GoFundMe page was created to help with costs associated with Xion and Phiinyx Solomon.
Charges against Stephen McKenzie remain pending.
Authorities have yet to say what led to the gun violence as they continue to investigate.
