Police say the victim was called to help regain entry after a lock change.
MIAMI, FL — A 32-year-old man is facing a second-degree murder charge after police said he shot a locksmith in the head inside a West Miami apartment building on Friday evening, killing him at the scene. Investigators arrested Luis David Lemus a short time later, authorities said.
The shooting drew attention because it unfolded during what police described as a simple service call: a locksmith arriving to help open a door after a lock change. Adrian Venereo, 37, was found in a seventh-floor hallway with a gunshot wound, police said. Lemus was booked into the Miami-Dade County jail system on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon, and officials said the motive was still unclear as the case moved into the early stages of a homicide investigation.
Officers responded to a report of shots in the 6300 block of Southwest Eighth Street at about 6:20 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, police said. When they reached the apartment complex, they found Venereo on an upper floor with an apparent head wound in a hallway outside an apartment. Miami Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at the scene, police said, and investigators began collecting statements from people inside the building as they secured the area.
According to an arrest report described by police and local news outlets, one witness was holding a revolver when officers arrived and told them Lemus had fled after the shooting. The witness said Lemus had “hurt someone,” police reported. Investigators said surveillance video later helped them piece together what happened in the moments before the gunfire, including footage that appeared to show Lemus following Venereo toward an apartment.
Police said the witness told investigators he and Lemus had been changing the locks on Lemus’ front door earlier that evening. After the work was finished, they were unable to get back inside and turned to Venereo, who worked as a locksmith, to help them regain entry, according to investigators. While Venereo worked on the lock, Lemus allegedly fired a shot into Venereo’s head, police said. Investigators said Lemus then went downstairs and ran from the building on foot.
Detectives used a mix of video, witness statements, and on-the-ground patrol efforts to track down a suspect, police said. Officers later detained Lemus near the intersection of Southwest 52nd Court and Southwest Seventh Street, authorities said, after they spotted someone wearing clothing that appeared to match what was seen on surveillance footage. Lemus was taken to the department’s homicide office for questioning, police said, and he gave a statement that was redacted from the publicly released version of the report.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Venereo died from a gunshot wound to the head and classified the death as a homicide, police said. Investigators said the shooting happened inside the building, not outside on the street, and that Venereo was found in the hallway on the seventh floor. The building’s interior setting meant many details depended on accounts from people who were present, along with security-camera footage and physical evidence recovered at the scene.
Second-degree murder in Florida generally involves an unlawful killing caused by an act that is “imminently dangerous” and shows a depraved mind without regard for human life, but is not committed with a premeditated plan. Prosecutors must still prove the elements of the charge in court, and the case can shift as investigators gather more information and lawyers review evidence. Police have not publicly described any prior relationship between Lemus and Venereo beyond the service call that brought the locksmith to the apartment that night.
Authorities also have not said what led up to the moment of the shooting or whether there was an argument before the gunfire. Police said Saturday that the motive had not been established. Investigators did not release information about any prior calls to the apartment, whether anyone else was threatened, or whether Lemus made comments at the scene that clarified why Venereo was shot. Officials also did not release details about the firearm police said was in the witness’ hands when officers arrived.
The address block where police responded sits along Southwest Eighth Street, a busy corridor that cuts through neighborhoods west of downtown Miami. The apartment complex is in an area where residential buildings and small businesses are close together, and neighbors said the heavy police presence was hard to miss. In incidents like this, investigators often work quickly to interview witnesses while memories are fresh and to secure any video from building systems before it is overwritten, though police have not released a timeline for completing those steps.
In the hours after the shooting, detectives worked to document the scene and identify the victim, police said. Venereo was 37 and was described by investigators as a locksmith. Police have not released information about where he lived, whether he owned a locksmith business, or whether he was dispatched through a company or contacted directly. Officials also did not say how long Venereo had been at the building before the shooting occurred.
For residents of the building, the case added fear because the violence happened inside a hallway, not outside in a parking lot or on a street corner. People who live in multi-story buildings often share common spaces with strangers and service workers, and that can complicate investigations when police try to identify who was present on a given floor at a given moment. Officers can also face challenges separating accounts from firsthand witnesses and people who arrived afterward or heard what happened secondhand.
Police said Lemus was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County. As of Saturday afternoon and evening, jail records listed his bond status as “to be set,” meaning a judge would need to decide whether he could be released and under what conditions. Court records and jail systems can update quickly as a case moves from arrest to first appearance, but officials had not publicly announced a bond amount or release date by Saturday night.
In Florida felony cases, a defendant typically makes an initial court appearance soon after an arrest. During that hearing, a judge can address bond and conditions of release, such as restrictions on travel or contact with certain people, and can confirm whether the suspect will be represented by a public defender or private counsel. Prosecutors can also outline the basis for detention and the seriousness of the allegations, while defense lawyers can challenge the evidence presented at that early stage.
Investigators are expected to continue reviewing surveillance footage and statements to clarify the sequence of events on the seventh floor and on the path out of the building, police said. They may also seek additional video from nearby streets to confirm where Lemus went after leaving the complex. Police did not say Saturday whether they had recovered the weapon used in the killing or whether additional charges were possible as the investigation continues.
The case also raises questions that remain unanswered, including why two people were changing locks and how they ended up locked out right after the work was done. Police have not said whether the lock change was related to a move, an eviction, a dispute with a landlord, or a security concern. Officials have not released details about the apartment unit involved or about who placed the request for Venereo to come to the building.
Authorities have released few personal details about Lemus beyond his name, age, and booking information. Police have not said whether he has a prior criminal record, though that could become an issue at bond hearings and later court proceedings. Investigators also have not said whether Lemus was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the shooting, or whether any medical or mental health factors were considered during the arrest process.
Family and friends of Venereo were not immediately quoted in the initial police accounts, and it was not clear Saturday whether relatives had been formally notified before the news was released publicly. In many homicide investigations, detectives and victim-assistance staff work with the medical examiner’s office to provide updates to relatives as autopsy and identification steps are completed. Police did not say when Venereo’s body would be released to a funeral home or whether any memorial plans had been shared.
Witness accounts described by police suggested the shooting happened quickly and in close quarters, with Venereo focused on the lock when the shot was fired. That description, if supported by evidence, could become important later because prosecutors may argue it shows a sudden and dangerous act against a person who was not posing a threat. Defense attorneys, meanwhile, may seek to challenge witness reliability, highlight missing video angles, or argue that key details of the confrontation remain unknown.
Police said anyone with information about the shooting could contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers. Tips can help investigators locate additional witnesses, identify video sources that police may not know about, or clarify the movements of people in a building at the time of a crime. In shootings inside apartment buildings, residents sometimes have doorbell cameras or interior hallway cameras that capture sounds or movement that building systems miss, though police did not say whether such devices were part of the evidence collected.
For now, the public record shows a single charge: second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The investigation remains open, with motive and other key facts not yet publicly explained. Police have not announced any upcoming news conference or provided a detailed narrative beyond the arrest report summary shared Saturday.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.