MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WSVN) – A man fatally shot while working inside a commercial van in Miami Gardens, Monday afternoon, was killed by a stray bullet, police said.
Police said the victim, 38-year-old Bered Pierre, was shot and killed while working inside his assigned company van. Witnesses discovered Pierre’s body in the front seat of the vehicle, which was parked in front of a food store in the area of Northwest 49th Avenue and 167th Street, just off the Palmetto Expressway.
Pierre was a husband and father to two children, ages 5 and 3. “He was an innocent man who got caught in the crossfire, and now we have his wife and two kids, you know, they’re gonna be raised without their father,” said the victim’s brother-in-law, David Ferguson. “That’s the hardest thing. They’re young.”
According to Miami Gardens Police, the shooter approached two other individuals who were in the parking lot of the food store, where the van was parked, and opened fire. Pierre was struck as a result of a stray bullet.
“It’s terrible. It has to stop, but I think someone who would be champion for nonviolence, it would be him,” Ferguson said.
Pierre coached junior basketball. The family said his wife works for the Miramar Police Department, where she usually is responsible for notifying families about deaths that have occurred. “She does death notices. She is the one that comforts the family through tragic times such as this,” Ferguson said. “It’s just hard for her to go through this, knowing what kind of work she does.”
One of the two individuals was treated for a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening, police said.
Miami Gardens Police are continuing to search for the shooter.
If you have any information on this shooting, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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