The victim was identified as 21-year-old Kenneth Walters Jr., who was shot near Homestead Avenue during a birthday party.
WEST PERRINE, FL— Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputies were searching Sunday for the suspect in a fatal shooting that killed a 21-year-old man at a birthday party the night before on Homestead Avenue near West Guava Street, authorities and local reports said.
The case has added to fears in a neighborhood rattled by two shootings in less than 24 hours. Deputies said Kenneth Walters Jr. was shot multiple times shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday and later died at a hospital. By Sunday night, investigators still had not announced an arrest, a motive or whether the weekend shootings in the same area were connected.
Authorities said the first shooting happened during a large birthday gathering Saturday night in West Perrine, an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County south of Miami. According to deputies, Walters was hit several times on Homestead Avenue near West Guava Street shortly before 10 p.m. Rescue crews took him to a local hospital, where he later died. By Sunday, a memorial of flowers had begun to grow near the scene. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it was searching for the shooter, but public details about the suspect were limited. Investigators had not publicly described the gunman, released information about how many shots were fired, or said whether witnesses saw the suspect leave on foot or in a vehicle.
Neighbors said the violence stunned the block. Errol A. Campbell, who lives nearby, said Walters was known in the area as a respectful young man. “It’s a sad situation. I feel for the family,” Campbell said. “Very nice young fellow. I’ve never seen that young fellow in any problems.” Deputies have not said what led up to the shooting, whether an argument broke out before the gunfire, or whether Walters knew the shooter. Investigators also had not said how many people were at the party when the shooting started. Those missing details are central to the case because they could help explain whether the killing was targeted, the result of a dispute, or part of a broader conflict that spilled into the neighborhood over the weekend.
The killing drew even more attention because another shooting happened nearby Sunday evening, just feet from the earlier crime scene, also during a birthday party, according to local reporting from the neighborhood. Gunfire erupted shortly before 6:30 p.m. Sunday, sending residents running and drawing a heavy law enforcement response. Investigators placed multiple evidence markers in the roadway while searching for clues. Authorities had not confirmed by late Sunday whether the two cases were linked, but the timing and location raised alarm among residents who said it was unusual to hear gunfire in that part of West Perrine. The back-to-back shootings left families grieving, residents shaken and deputies trying to sort out whether they were dealing with separate acts of violence or a connected chain of events.
For now, the investigation appears to be in its early stages. Deputies had not announced charges, named a suspect or disclosed whether any surveillance video, cellphone footage or forensic evidence had identified the shooter in Walters’ death. They also had not said whether detectives were interviewing partygoers, checking nearby cameras or searching for a weapon. In homicide cases like this one, investigators typically work to lock down witness statements, compare timelines and examine shell casings and other physical evidence from the scene. Still, as of Sunday night, officials had not publicly laid out those steps in detail. What is clear is that the case remained open, the shooter had not been caught, and deputies were still asking for information that could move the investigation forward.
The human toll was visible on the street where Walters was shot. Flowers and tributes marked the spot where he collapsed, turning a residential roadway into a place of mourning. Campbell said the weekend bloodshed was unlike anything he had experienced there. “I visit this area and I never, ever heard a gunshot ever,” he said. His words captured the shock spreading through the neighborhood as residents tried to make sense of two scenes of violence in the span of a day. Even with deputies canvassing the area and processing evidence, many of the most important questions remained unanswered: who pulled the trigger, why Walters was attacked and whether more violence could follow if the shooter is not found.
As of Monday, March 23, the suspect in Walters’ killing had not been publicly identified, and the sheriff’s office had not said when it expected to release more information. The next major milestone in the case is likely an update from investigators once they identify a suspect or announce an arrest.
Author note: Last updated March 23, 2026.