NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection to the fatal shooting of a high school football coach in Northwest Miami-Dade, and he is now being accused of killing his own family member.
Miami-Dade Police said on Thursday night that they have arrested the person who shot and killed Corey Smith, a teacher and football coach at Miami Senior High School.
Early Friday morning, authorities identified the shooting suspect as 15-year-old Charles Alexander, a relative of the victim.
The teen’s mother, Stephanie Braddy, spoke to 7News outside her home, Friday morning.
“Charles has been a special needs child from birth,” Braddy said. “My child is a mentally ill child. He’s only 15. Mentally he’s around 8 or 9, like at some point respect that he is a child, a mentally disturbed child. Don’t try to prosecute him before you even know the facts. Don’t sit here and be the judge, the jury, the prosecutor and everything else. Help my child.”
Police said Smith was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in his home near Northwest 97th Street and 21st Avenue, Monday morning.
Investigators said Alexander was the only other person inside of the home at the time of the shooting.
According to the arrest report, the teen admitted to his mother on Wednesday that he committed the crime.
“Corey was a great mentor to Charles. He was trying to help Charles. A lot of people were trying to help Charles,” said Braddy, “because we all knew there’s a problem there with Charles.”
Smith was also a relative of Lamar Alexander, one of two men who hijacked a UPS truck after robbing a jewelry store in Coral Gables, back on Dec. 5. It led to a police chase and a shootout in Miramar. The UPS driver, an innocent bystander and both robbers were killed.
Braddy added a grim coincidence regarding her son.
“He lost his dad Dec. 5th. His birthday is Dec. 5th. It’s trauma there,” she said.
Alexander has since been charged with second-degree murder and grand theft.
He appeared before a judge on Friday morning and was ordered to remain in secure detention for 21 days.
His attorney asked for a psychological evaluation since his last one was on June 1.
It remains unclear whether Alexander will be tried as an adult or a juvenile. He is expected to appear in court again on Oct. 15.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.