Police Make Arrest In Pre-Baptism Party Homicide
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – North Miami Beach Police arrested a suspect on Friday accused of shooting and killing a 21-year old man while he was trying to break up a fight at a pre-baptism party.
Police arrested Louis Kenson Avril, 26, on Friday for the death of Alexis Wilson on January 5th.
On Saturday, Avril appeared before a judge who denied his bond.
On January 7th, Wilson's grieving mother and father asked for the public's help after their 21-year-old son was gunned down while trying to break up a fight at a pre-baptism party.
Ironically, the victim had hoped to become a crime scene investigator.
"My boy was good. He never got in any trouble," said Acelia Desinor, whose son Wilson Alexis was shot and killed when he intervened and tried to stop a fight between four to five females and a male inside a home at N.E.159th Street and N.E. 15th Ave.
"He was trying to help them out and help them get out of the fight and break it up," said Alexis's father Francoeur Alexis.
He said it was in his son's nature to keep people from hurting each other.
Alexis told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "I feel so sad. I feel so sad. I am so sorry for him. He was a 21-year-old who never had any serious problems. He never got in a fight or trouble. This is terrible."
"Wilson was a good boy," said Alexis. "He was done with high school at Miami Edison Senior High at 17 years old. He went Miami-Dade College for a year. He took some time off. He wanted to be a crime scene investigator."
North Miami Beach Police said the shooting happened just after 4 a.m. last Sunday after a large number of uninvited guests showed up at the house after a notice about the party was posted on the social media website TAGGED.
A number of fights broke out during that party, according to police. The first fight broke out over food and a lack of proper utensils. Police say that lead to an argument between one of the party guests and a kitchen helper.
That's when members of the Joseph family decided to end the party. Then police say that's when the second fight broke out that Alexis tried to stop.
Jameson Joseph told D'Oench "The party was going on and then one fight broke out over food. It was all supposed to just be a pre-baptism party for my five month-old godchild. I wished it never happened. I feel terrible about this. I wished it never happened."
Another member of the Joseph family declined to give her name but said, "What happened was not supposed to happen. It was just a celebration of a baptism. It just got out of control."
As of January 7th, police said they had questioned about 20 people who were at the party, but they say as many as 80 other guests took off. And they wanted to question them to help identify the shooter.
Avril is being charged with 1st degree premeditated murder with a firearm, 1st attempted degree premeditated murder with a firearm, and reckless displace of a firearm.
