Victims remember night of horror in shootings outside Miami funeral home

Parterson Dubreus’s newborn baby was just nine days old when Dubreus was shot and killed in a hail of gunfire outside a Miami-Dade funeral home in what police say is one of the worst mass shootings in recent history.

Dubreus, 27, was killed, along with Laurore Ornis, 43, from Fort Pierce, and 12 others were wounded, including a five-year-old girl in Friday night’s shooting. Police suspect that the gunfire was part of a battle between gang members in the largely Haitian communities of North Miami and North Miami Beach.

Miami-Dade police on Monday identified nine of the wounded as Betty Remy, 24, of Miami; Lourdine Gustave, 22, of Miami; McKayla Bazile, 5, of Opa-locka; Sandra Michaud, 27, of Miami; Robinson Calixte, 20, of Miami; Jerry Byron, 24, of North Miami; Roddy Regis, 16, of Miami; Monica Eliodor, 21, of Miami; and Barbara Louise, 22, of North Miami.

“It was absolutely ridiculous,” said Someta Etienne, whose 5-year-old daughter, McKayla, was shot in the leg as gunmen opened fire into the mourners who had gathered outside Funeraria Latina Emmanuel Funeral Home Friday night to pay their respects at the viewing of Morvin “Money Marv” Andre, 21, who died two weeks earlier.

Etienne was friends with Andre, 21, who died March 16, a day after he jumped from a parking garage at the Aventura Mall. Etienne said Andre’s family believes he made a fatal mistake by jumping to escape mall employees who wanted to question him after he allegedly used a stolen credit card at Bloomingdale’s. Aventura Police said he committed suicide.

“It was just an accident,’’ said Etienne, who went to North Miami Senior High with Andre. “He had no reason to commit suicide.’’

Andre came from a large family that included a twin sister, three brothers and two other sisters. Etienne said that Andre was not involved in a gang, but that the dispute that led to the shootings was gang-related.

She said the shooting was reminiscent of one two years ago in North Miami, in which a 19-year-old teen was slain as he was leaving a viewing outside Fraternity Baptist Church, 13300 NE Seventh Ave. in North Miami. That shooting, like Friday’s, happened on a Friday night when gunmen drove by the church and began firing into a crowd.

At that time, North Miami police suspected the shooting of the teenager was gang related. Robert Sam, 19, was killed at the viewing for 19-year-old Wilcky Durogene Jr., who had been shot to death outside his home a week before.

In the most recent shooting, Dubreus’ brother, Arol Pierre, urged witnesses to come forward to help get the gunmen off the street. Pierre, who was planning his brother’s funeral Monday, said Dubreus was an innocent bystander who didn’t really know Andre. He had simply gone to the service out of respect to his friends who were mourning Andre’s death.

“We need this violence to stop,’’ Pierre said. “This is our community. It doesn’t matter what color we are, what race we are. We are all human beings.”

He called on community and government leaders to do something to stop the gang wars, which have been a burgeoning problem in the Haitian community for many years.

Pierre, who was born in Haiti, said he and his family came to live in South Florida in 1994. His brother was born here, moved back to Haiti for a time, and returned with his family. He graduated from North Miami Senior High.

Pierre said his brother, a physical therapist who recently lost his job, was planning to get married.

“It’s been so painful,’’ Pierre said, holding back tears. “I am asking myself, is this where I want to raise my children?’’

A few blocks away, at Andre’s gated home, a woman who said she was his sister declined to talk Monday, saying the family’s attorney had advised them not to say anything.

Etienne said the bloody confrontation began after two men walked up to Andre’s casket and tried to shake his hand. Andre’s brothers, believing it was disrespectful, told them to leave and they were escorted out, she said.

Moments later, bullets started flying outside the funeral parlor, where Etienne and McKayla had just walked out into the parking lot. Her daughter began screaming, and when bystanders realized the little girl was shot, they whisked her into the funeral home, along with other people who were wounded.

It will be months before her daughter will be able to walk. Doctors left the bullet in her leg because it was too close to the bone to remove, Etienne said. She also has a broken femur. The tissue around it will heal and McKayla will eventually fully recover.

Her parents expect to take McKayla home in about two weeks, although she will still be recovering and need a body cast. Etienne said her daughter remembers what happened and has told her, “I don’t want it to happen again. I don’t want to go outside.”

Other shooting victims recalled the chaos as the suspects pulled an assault rifle and a handgun from a car and began firing at random.

“It’s crazy, it’s pathetic that people are that careless and anxious to put holes in innocent people’s bodies,’’ said Sandra Michaud, a family friend recovering from a gunshot wound to her thigh.

Another victim, Robinson Calixte, 20, disputed whether the shootings involved gang members. He too, insisted that Andre did not participate in gang activity.

“It was not gang-related. We all knew each other. He was friendly to everybody,’’ said Calixte, who has known Andre and his family since he was in first grade.

Calixte suffered two wounds, one to each side.

He said he didn’t see anything before he was shot.

This story was originally published April 3, 2012 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Victims remember night of horror in shootings outside Miami funeral home."