Via the
Miami Herald:
A popular figure in the Haitian music industry wanted for the double-homicide of his ex-girlfriend and her well-known reggae dancehall artist boyfriend in New York died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a North Miami-Dade apartment after U.S. Marshal police officers surrounded the building.
The U.S. Marshals’ fugitive taskforce followed Joseph Kernizan’s trail from New York to North Miami. Police feared he would flee to his native Haiti.
Interviews with several of Kernizan’s acquaintances led investigators to a North Miami apartment building on Northwest 157th Street and Second Avenue, said Barry Golden, a spokesman with the U.S. Marshals office.
Golden said federal agents arrived at the North Miami quadruplex at 10:14 p.m. Tuesday.
"We surrounded that location from all sides. We pulled in one of our vehicles, we had lights and a PA and we asked for residents of the apartments to step outside," he said.
At one point, investigators saw Kernizan stick his head out of a ground-floor apartment window, Golden said. He then attempted to run out a back door, but when he saw police officers he shut the door and locked it, Golden said.
Minutes later, someone who had been inside the apartment with Kernizan came out and police heard shots. Police entered the one-bedroom apartment through a back window.
"When we went in, he was dead," Golden said. Kernizan shot himself, he said. Police say they found three handguns and two loaded AK-47 guns at the scene.
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Video: WSVN-TV
-via WSVN:
Police are investigating the murder of a South Florida man who was shot and killed near his children.
On Tuesday morning, a mourner dropped off flowers at the site where Robert Labranche was murdered.
Monday evening, a gunman opened fire at the car wash near 770 Northwest 54th Street. According to police, the victim stopped at the car wash and someone shot him as his daughter and son sat inside the car near by.
Family members identified the victim as Labranche, a.k.a Bizzle or Chowtime, a well-liked Miami rapper.
Dozens of family members and friends crowded the area to pay their respects. "He don't bother nobody; he's always doing his job. He's a hardworking man," said a friend.
The victim's sister devastated by the shooting, cried out as a loved one tried to console her. "Oh my brother, they killed my brother for nothing," she wailed.
Inconsolable relatives rushed police officers and passed crime scene tape forcing officers to restrain them. "They obviously wanted to grab that family member here, they wanted to grab him one last time, possibly," said Miami Police Detective Willie Moreno.
Police said Labranche's kids were not harmed. "Fortunately, they didn't see the actual incident and they are currently right now unharmed with family members," said Moreno.
According to friends, Labranche owned part of the car wash. "He got killed over here apparently, because he was trying to save his business," said a friend.
Police are looking for a man wearing all black that fled the scene in an unknown direction.
Friends said they don't know why anyone would want to kill Labranche but they hope police track the gunman down. "Just take a look around you man, this is the love," said a friend, with arms stretched to the large crowd of people who flooded the street. "This is the love right here. That's a good guy man."
If you have any information on this murder, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.
