Man who killed woman, 3 children in Pembroke Park shooting dies in hospital, authorities say
Mar 31, 2025
A man who opened fire on his family, killing a woman and three of her children before turning the gun on himself, has died, Broward Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives said Monday.
Authorities identified the suspect as 34-year-old Stephen McKenzie, who died in the hospital on March 27, a day a
fter the mass shooting at an apartment in Pembroke Park.
Deputies responded to the shooting around 7:30 p.m. on March 26 at 3181 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., where they found six people shot inside the residence.
Julie Cruz, 32, and three of her children—11-year-old Xion Solomon and 2-year-old twins Nova and Emery McKenzie—were pronounced dead at the scene.
McKenzie was found with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, while Cruz’s 8-year-old daughter, Phiinyx Solomon, was also critically injured.
Paramedics rushed Phiinyx to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where she remains in serious condition.
McKenzie was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries the next day.
Investigators say Cruz and McKenzie shared two of the children who were killed, Nova and Emery, while Xion and Phiinyx Solomon have a different father.
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