A 22-year-old man turned himself into police for fatally shooting a father of 14 who tried to de-escalate a fight between two teenagers, one of whom was his daughter.
Miami-Dade Police say 47-year-old Johnny Stevenson Jr. was shot on Tuesday at Northwest 14th Street and First Court in Florida City during a fight between two high school students.
Stevenson had learned his daughter was involved in a fight on a school bus that spilled over onto the street at the bus stop and went to intervene.
Cellphone video caught the two teenage girls exchanging blows on the bus. Another video caught the fight on the street where a large crowd gathered to watch.
“She maced me,” Stevenson’s 15-year-old daughter told CBS Miami. “Once she maced me, we started fighting.
Police say Stevenson tried to end the fight, but the situation only escalated when another man interfered and started shooting.
“The person who shot my dad pulled my best friend away and then he pulled my mama,” Stevenson’s daughter recalled. “That’s when my dad seen him, then the boy shoved my dad, my dad shoved him back, and then the boy pulled out the gun and shot him.”
Authorities say 22-year-old Kentarian Cross was responsible for the gunfire that gravely injured Stevenson.
“I seen my dad fall. I put pressure on his stomach. My mom, she comes to put pressure on his stomach,” Stevenson’s daughter said.
Stevenson was rushed to a local hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds to his stomach but died during surgery.
Cross surrendered himself to authorities the day after the shooting and revoked his Miranda rights. He now faces a second-degree murder charge. Witnesses identified Cross as the suspect who opened fire. A photo also showed him holding a gun before the fight, police said.
“I just don’t understand why he did it,” the victim’s daughter said.
Stevenson was a devoted father of 14 children and a beloved member of his community, according to local reports.
“We looked up to him. All his kids looked up to him – everybody, to be honest. He was just that person,” Stevenson’s cousin told Local 10 News.
Miami-Dade Public Schools released this statement following the fight:
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is aware of a video clip involving students from Homestead Senior High School engaging in an altercation on a school bus. The school’s administration is reviewing the matter, and the students involved will be disciplined according to the Code of Student Conduct. At M-DCPS, the well-being and safety of our students is of the utmost importance. This school district goes to great lengths to promote the values of restraint and respect as well as using social media responsibly. We ask that parents reinforce these principles at home.”
