MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Grieving loved ones came together in Miami Gardens to pay tribute to loved ones victimized by gun violence, as they made personal pleas for help.
Fireworks lit up into the sky Friday evening, as mourners surrounded the family of Darin Williams Jr., a young father gunned down while holding his 1-year-old son along the 2300 block of Northwest 187th Street on Monday, just before 9 p.m.
Williams’ family remembers him as a special human being.
“Amazing father, amazing brother, amazing cousin, amazing friend,” said Ashley Council, his cousin.
According to Miami Gardens Police, Williams was killed after someone opened fire in front of this home. Investigators said he used his body to shield his son, Darin Williams III, from the bullets.
Williams and his son were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where the older victim was pronounced dead. He was 27 years old.
“He literally gave his life for his son,” said Council. “What more needs to be said?”
Relatives said the child remains at the hospital and is showing signs of improvement.
Nearly 100 people took part in Friday’s memorial outside of Williams’ home. They lit candles and released balloons to remember the promising life that was taken.
“There are not enough words to describe what we’ve lost,” said Council.
This gathering comes as another Miami Gardens family looks to find justice.
Raheem Jean Pierre’s mother, Loraine Douglas Jean Pierre, spoke with 7News exactly one year after he was killed in front of their home.
“It was my son, right out here in his car, dead, shot dead,” she said.
The grieving mother showed the bullet holes left behind.
“This is one of the bullet holes. I still haven’t fixed it yet,” she said.
The 20-year-old victim was parked in his car with his cousin and a friend at their house along Northwest 175th Terrace, near 24th Avenue, on July 27, 2017, when someone opened fire
The rest of Jean Pierre’s family took cover inside.
“The shots were firing so rapidly and so fast,” said Loraine. “When we come out, he was still alive. I felt his heart.”
But unfortunately, Jean Pierre succumbed to his injuries.
His mother still has the car he was killed in behind her house. But a year later, there’s still no information about the person who pulled the trigger.
“I’m not getting no justice, and I want justice for my son,” said Loraine. “I need it really bad, you know. It hurt me so bad. Every other week, a young black man is dead in Miami Gardens. Some of these men are fathers, and the mothers here are mourning all over Miami Gardens. We are hurting, and we need help over here.”
And as she continues her painful plea, Williams’ loved ones are also asking for help.
“Let’s stop this from happening to each other,” said a man who spoke during the memorial.
“Please, please, please, anything, I mean, the simplest thing, even if you just heard something please share, so we can have some kind of a rest,” said Council.
If you have any information on either of these shootings, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward. In the case of Williams’ shooting, there is a $13,000 reward being offered.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.