Sheriff identifies couple killed in senior apartment shooting
Franky Paba and Denis Del Carmen Polo Fuentes died in a residence near 14th Avenue and 171st Street on Wednesday evening.
By Lina Lewis ·
A shooting at a senior housing complex in northeast Miami-Dade left two people dead on Wednesday evening. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office identified the victims as Franky Paba, 64, and Denis Del Carmen Polo Fuentes, 57.
Agents responded to the apartment complex near 14th Avenue and 171st Street around 7 p.m. They found the man and woman dead inside the residence. Investigators determined the woman had entered the unit to collect personal belongings. The man allowed her inside. He then pulled a firearm and shot her. He later took his own life, according to the sheriff’s office.
Police have not confirmed the relationship between the two. Yolima Paba, who identified herself as Franky Paba’s sister, said the couple had been going through a difficult period. She stated they had been separated for approximately two months. "I really don’t have words to say," Yolima Paba said. She described the family as trying to process a tragedy they had not expected.
Yolima Paba added that the separation involved typical couple problems. She said she did not think the outcome would be so tragic given the time they had already spent apart. A neighbor who knew the residents said Denis had lived in the apartment for years before recently moving out.
The neighbor explained that the couple had split because Franky had to travel to Colombia. His mother had been hospitalized for a long period. During that time, the relationship fell apart. Denis decided to leave the residence. Investigators said she returned to the apartment around 7 p.m. on Wednesday specifically to pick up her items.
A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office described the sequence of events. The man let the woman into the home. He armed himself with a gun. He began shooting the victim and then shot himself.
The incident took place in a community for residents over 55 years old. The sheriff’s office released the names of the victims on Wednesday. The family and neighbors are still gathering to support one another.
