The Broward Sheriff’s Office reports that the man who is suspected of killing a mother and three of her children in a shooting in Pembroke Park has passed away.
Stephen McKenzie, 34, died of his wounds on Thursday, March 27. He had shot Julia Cruz, 32, and her four children, killing three of them, before turning the pistol on himself.
After the incident, McKenzie was found seriously injured, according to authorities, and transferred to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where he subsequently passed away.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, the slaughter took place at the Sundrift apartment complex on West Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Officers found Cruz and three of her children dead inside unit 408, including 11-year-old Xion Solomon and twins Nova and Emery McKenzie, all of whom were 2 years old.
Phiinyx Solomon, age eight, was shot as well but lived. At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, she is still in critical condition.
“They were my oxygen”
Irma Rivera, Cruz’s mother, is finding it difficult to understand the loss as family members struggle to cope with the tragedy.
“My daughter, my grandkids were my oxygen, so right now, it’s hard to breathe,” Rivera stated.
Cruz, according to Rivera, was a loving mother who prioritized her kids.
She was a dedicated mother who would never entrust her children to anyone. “She was really committed to her kids,” Rivera remarked. “Emery and Nova, the two young children, were quite cute. They were such content kids, and I really miss them.
Additionally, Rivera disclosed that Cruz had confided in her only a few days prior to the shooting.
“My daughter just called me and told me she was exhausted from the mental abuse,” Rivera stated. “It fluctuated a lot. No history of physical abuse was found. She informed me over the phone on Tuesday that she would be leaving him this weekend. It happened on Wednesday because I was unable to talk to her.
The last courageous deed of a brother
The oldest of the four children, Xion Solomon, lost his life defending his mother and sister. Rita Hanson, his grandmother, claimed that he acted altruistically in his last moments.
“He was a good child and very unique. “He always looked out for everyone, including his siblings,” Hanson said. “He was just doing what Xion does, just trying to, you know, just be the protector that he is.”
Xion’s father, Kelvin Solomon, mirrored the idea, referring to his kid as a hero.
“I want everyone to understand that he was a hero. He claimed to have died defending his mother and sister.
Questions that remain unanswered
The cause of McKenzie’s shooting has not yet been established by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Cruz’s family informed CBS News Miami that she had been attempting to break up with him.
Solomon admitted that he knew Cruz and McKenzie were having problems at home.
The family is left to mourn the lives lost for the time being and cling to the memories of a mother and children who were stolen too soon.
“It’s hard to breathe”: Family mourns mom, 3 children killed in Pembroke Park shooting
