A man accused of killing a mother and three of her children before turning the gun on himself has died. Stephen McKenzie, 34, allegedly shot 32-year-old Julia Cruz and her four children, killing 11-year-old Xion Solomon and 2-year-old twins Nova and Emmry McKenzie. Phiinyx Solomon, 8, survived the shooting and remains in serious condition at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. Now, Cruz’s mother, Irma Rivera, is mourning the daughter and grandchildren she loved so dearly.
Rivera told CBS News Miami that her daughter and McKenzie were in a mentally abusive relationship, and she wanted to leave.
“My daughter just called me and told me she was exhausted from the mental abuse,” Rivera said. “It was up and down a lot. There was no history of physical abuse. She called me on Tuesday that she was going to leave him this weekend. On Wednesday, I did not get to speak to her and that’s when it happened.”
Tragically, Cruz never had the chance to escape. Instead, McKenzie reportedly opened fire at the family’s apartment in Pembroke Park, Florida, on March 26. McKenzie shot Cruz’s two children and the twins the pair shared. After shooting them, he turned the gun on himself.
Angel Aquino overheard the shooting. He told CBS Miami, “I just heard eight shots coming from the fourth floor, so I came outside,” he said. “One of my neighbors told me a man tried to kill all of his family and then tried to kill himself.”
Xion and Phiinyx’s father, Kelvin Solomon, told CBS Miami his son died shielding his family.
“He was a hero, and I want everyone to know he was a hero. He died protecting his mom and his sister,” Solomon said.
Rita Hanson, Xion’s grandmother, agreed. “He was really special, and he was a good kid. He was always protective of everybody — all his brothers, all his sisters,” Hanson said. “He was just doing what Xion does, just trying to, you know, just be the protector that he is.”
It is unclear what led to the deadly shooting, but the case remains under investigation.
Tiffany Sarske created a GoFundMe for Rivera to help raise Phiinyx. Sarske wrote, “Currently, PHIINYX is in the hospital, undergoing treatment and fighting to overcome the physical and emotional trauma from the attack. While her strength and resilience are nothing short of inspiring, the road to recovery will be long, and the emotional and financial burden on her remaining family is overwhelming.”
They’ve raised nearly $15,000 of a $20,000 goal so far.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter domesticshelters.org.
