Brendan Roger Francois Obituary, Death; – A suspect has been apprehended in relation to a shooting incident that resulted in the death of a man and injuries to a 16-year-old girl in Homestead, as confirmed by authorities on Thursday.
According to the Miami-Dade police, officers from the Homestead Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in the 600 block of Southwest Eighth Street shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday. Local 10 News acquired drone footage from HomesteadCrimes, which showed officers arriving at the scene where they discovered a man, later identified as 23-year-old Brendan Roger Francois, deceased from gunshot wounds, along with a 16-year-old girl who had sustained a graze wound to her left wrist.
Investigators reported that a witness provided a statement regarding the incident that took place on Monday. The witness indicated that he was seated behind a residence near the 1600 block of Northwest Sixth Avenue in Florida City, just south of the shooting location. He observed Francois and the girl walking west on West Lucy Street when he noticed a man, identified by police on Thursday as 27-year-old Louis Edward Harris Jr., rapidly approaching them, according to an arrest report.
Authorities stated that Harris reached the victims and shouted, “That’s my girl,” before discharging a single round at Francois. Investigators confirmed that Francois was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives noted that the teenage girl and video surveillance from various locations in the vicinity were instrumental in identifying Harris as the shooter.
Police reported that Harris was arrested on Wednesday and taken to the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Homicide Bureau. After being informed of his Miranda rights, investigators indicated that Harris waived them and confessed to his involvement in the homicide, although his confession was redacted in the publicly available report.
Shortly after being informed of the charges against him, detectives noted that Harris became agitated in a restroom, banging his head against a partition, spitting on investigators, and exhibiting erratic behavior. He was subsequently returned to the interview room, where he caused additional damage by kicking walls and doors, throwing a chair, and urinating on the floor.
