Deputies said no formal charges had been filed as the investigation continued.
PALMETTO BAY, FL — A 75-year-old man was released without formal charges after deputies said he fatally shot his 47-year-old son Wednesday inside a Palmetto Bay home during a reported domestic dispute.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called just after 4:45 p.m. Wednesday to a home near Southwest 168th Street and 92nd Avenue. Investigators identified the father as David Ronald McPeck and the son as David Dylan McPeck. Deputies said Thursday that the elder McPeck had been released and that no formal charges had been filed at that time.
Deputies said they took David Ronald McPeck into custody outside the home after the shooting. The agency has not said what happened in the moments before gunfire, what weapon was used, or whether anyone else was inside the home. The sheriff’s office said the case remained under investigation Thursday afternoon. Officials also said deputies had responded to the home before for mental health calls, but they did not give dates or details about those earlier calls.
A woman who identified herself as David Dylan McPeck’s sister said the family had tried for years to get help before the shooting. “We’ve made plenty of phone calls, trying to get help,” she said. She returned to the home Thursday morning and described the death as a family tragedy. “I’m sorry that it has come to this. I don’t know what else to say,” she said. “This is so tragic that it ended this way. I can’t even begin to tell you what this is doing to my family.”
The shooting happened in a residential part of Palmetto Bay, a village in southern Miami-Dade County. Neighbors described the family as familiar but said they had seen signs of trouble at the home before. Victoria Delgado, who lives nearby, said she was shocked by the shooting because the elder McPeck had been kind to neighbors. “Mr. McPeck is very nice,” Delgado said. “They care a lot about the house and with us, we talk.”
Delgado said she had seen deputies at the home months earlier and had often seen the younger McPeck outside yelling. She said that shortly before the shooting, she saw him “running and screaming” in the area. Deputies have not said whether that account is connected to the shooting. They also have not said whether the earlier mental health calls involved the father, the son, or both men.
Records cited in the case show that David Dylan McPeck had been accused in 2021 of attacking his father and violating a restraining order. Deputies did not say Thursday whether that earlier case played any role in their decision to release David Ronald McPeck without charges. The lack of charges does not close the investigation, and authorities may still review witness statements, physical evidence and the history of calls to the home.
The sheriff’s office had not announced any arrest or court date by Thursday afternoon. Investigators had not released a detailed timeline of the domestic dispute, and several key facts remained unknown, including who called 911, whether deputies had body camera video, and whether prosecutors had reviewed the case. The next step is expected to be the completion of the sheriff’s office investigation and any review by prosecutors.
The home remained the focus of grief and questions Thursday as relatives and neighbors tried to understand what led to the fatal shooting. The victim’s sister said the family had long feared a serious outcome. Delgado said the scene left neighbors unsettled because they knew the family and had seen deputies respond before. The sheriff’s office said the investigation was still active.
As of Friday, April 24, David Ronald McPeck had been released without formal charges, and deputies had not publicly detailed what led to the shooting. The next milestone is any update from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office or prosecutors on whether charges will be filed.
Author note: Last updated April 24, 2026.