Miami Dade County Jail/Facebook Tamarius Davis, left, is accused of fatally shooting Dustin Wakefield, right, at a Miami Beach restaurant.
Tamarius Davis is a Georgia man accused of fatally shooting tourist Dustin Wakefield at a Miami Beach restaurant. Davis told police he was high on mushrooms. Wakefield was visiting Florida from Colorado and witnesses said he was defending his 1-year-old son after Davis aimed at the boy.
According to the Miami Herald, Davis told police drugs had made him “feel empowered” and he “randomly chose” to shoot Wakefield in the outdoor patio area of a restaurant. Miami Beach Police said the shooting happened in the 1400 block of Ocean Drive about 6:20 p.m. on August 25, 2021. Wakefield, 21, was from Castle Rock, Colorado, and is survived by his wife, along with their young son, his family said.
The suspect in the shooting has been identified in court records and local media reports as Tamarius Blair David, but his father told the Herald his son’s last name is actually Davis, and public records show a 22-year-old Tamarius Davis living in Georgia, but no Tamarius David.
Davis Was Seen in a Video Dancing Over Wakefield’s Body, Yelling ‘I Did It, I Did It’
The shooting happened in the patio area of a South Beach restaurant, according to Miami Beach Police. Authorities did not specify the name of the restaurant where the shooting occurred, but WSVN identified it as La Ceveceria. A bystander’s video shows Davis dancing after the shooting and yelling, “I did it. I did it.”
Davis was taken into custody at the scene of the Wakefield shooting, according to Miami Beach Police. Wakefield was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. According to police, a gun was also recovered at the scene of the shooting.
Dustin Wakefield, 21, is survived by his wife and 1-year-old son. His family gave us permission to use these photos, a day after the tourist was killed in an unprovoked, random shooting on Ocean Dr. The shooter 1st aimed the gun at the child before firing at his father. @wsvn
Mike Wakefield, Dustin Wakefield’s uncle, told the Miami Herald, “This guy came in with a gun waving it, saying it’s time to die. He pointed the gun at his son and Dustin said, ‘He’s only a boy.’ Dustin stood up between the gunman and the baby and he shot him. He shot him multiple times on the ground.”
According to police, Davis is accused of shooting at a man, but missing, on 14th Street, just before the killing. He is facing an attempted murder charge as a result of that incident.
Davis Father Said His Son Is a UPS Driver & Was Also in Florida on Vacation
Tamarius Blair Davis’ father told the Miami Herald his son was also on vacation in Florida, with his friends. The elder Davis said his son is a UPS driver. He told the newspaper, “we’re shocked.” Tamarius Davis does not appear to have a criminal record in Florida or Georgia.
Davis is being held at the Miami-Dade County jail without bond on second-degree murder charges. Davis, 22, is from Norcross, Georgia, according to police. It was not immediately clear if he has hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
A witness told Local 10 News, “There was a guy sitting at a table with all his family, kids and everything. He was right there. And he shot the guy like three times. After the shooting, he was dancing on top of the guy.” The witness said the gunman then fled from the scene and police said he was later taken into custody in an alley. Another video shows Davis surrendering to officers.
Wakefield’s Family Has Set Up a GoFundMe & His Mother Said He Was ‘the Best Dad Ever’
FacebookDustin Wakefield.
Michael Wakefield wrote on a GoFundMe campaign set up to help Dustin Wakefield’s family, “Hi, I’m Dustin’s uncle and I wanted to set up a go fund me account for Dustin’s family. Dustin leaves behind a family that is a very young with a young son too. With the tragedy that happened yesterday in Miami Dustin‘s family will be need all the help they can get thank you very much.”
Wakefield’s uncle told the Miami Herald his nephew worked in the construction industry and loved music and hunting. According to Wakefield’s family, Dustin Wakefield was eating at the restaurant with his son, wife and extended family when he was shot and killed.
Wakefield’s mother, Lori Wakefield, told Local 10 News, her son was the “best dad ever.” She said, “He’s a proud dad. When that baby grows up he’s going to love his dad.” She told the news station, “We saw miracles. We saw miracles together. His music, his music is amazing.”
Uncle of Miami Beach shooting victim tell us: “All I can say is Dustin loved his family and loved and cared for all he met. He will be missed in this world. Dustin saved his son and his family.” #MiamiBeach #SouthBeach @WPLGLocal10
His uncle added, “All I can say is Dustin loved his family and loved and cared for all he met. He will be missed in this world. Dustin saved his son and his family.”
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