Canadian diplomat Roxanne Dubé's son killed, another in custody after Miami shooting
The 17-year-old son of a Canadian diplomat in Miami is dead and his 15-year-old brother is in police custody, following a shootout during an alleged drug robbery that also left another teenager dead.
The older son of Roxanne Dubé, Jean Wabafiyebazu, was shot Monday afternoon, the boys' father, Germano Wabafiyebazu, confirmed from Ottawa during an interview with CBC News Network's Heather Hiscox.
Jean later died in hospital. The other teen who died has been identified by NBC News as Joshua Wright, 17.
Jean Wabafiyebazu's younger brother, Marc, is facing two charges, including felony murder. According to Florida law, an individual involved in a violent crime during which someone is killed can be charged with felony murder.
He has also been charged with corruption by threat against a public servant. According to an affidavit obtained by CBC News, Marc, while at Miami police headquarters, threatened to kill a detective, saying "that he would shoot him in the head."
Germano Wabafiyebazu is separated from the boys' mother, the Canadian consul general in Miami.
"She is devastated," he told Hiscox.
Dubé was named consul general last November, but the father said she only arrived in Miami with the boys in February. She was ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2005 to 2008.
Germano Wabafiyebazu said Dubé told him their two sons asked for the car at about 3 p.m. Monday to go around the city. He said Jean and Marc then picked up a friend, whom the father described as "an intermediary."
Police say the two brothers, armed with weapons, planned to rob an alleged drug dealer and a shootout ensued.
The Miami Herald reported the teen brothers drove to an apartment in Miami's Coral Way neighbourhood in a BMW with diplomatic plates.
The diplomat's younger son was outside in a parked car when the shooting started, the Herald reported the police as saying.
Germano Wabafiyebazu believes the apartment belonged to the intermediary, and that it appeared the alleged drug dealer didn't trust Jean or the intermediary.
"And something irritated him, and [he] shot them," the boys' father told CBC News.
Marc, inside the car, heard the shots, ran to the dwelling and saw his brother and the other young man dead, his father said. Marc was later arrested at the scene.
Germano Wabafiyebazu believes Marc would have been shot, too, if he had been inside the apartment when the firing started.
"I consider myself really lucky" to have not lost both sons, he said.
A male witness told NBC News: "We heard, like, six straight shots. [We] came out here. Heard another four. Saw some guy come out with a gun. Some other guy behind him stumbling. He fell down, and some chick came out screaming."
A 19-year-old man was wounded in the incident, police told the Herald. The newspaper identified him as Anthony Rodriguez, 19. He drove away from the scene of the shooting but was arrested at a nearby gas station and has been charged with felony murder and marijuana possession with intent to sell, the Herald reported.
Miami defence lawyer David Edelstein told CBC News that it's possible for Marc Wabafiyebazu to be charged with two counts of murder, even though he may not have pulled the trigger.
"It doesn't matter that it's his brother, although it's kind of a little strange for him to be charged with the death of his brother, which he certainly did not intend or want to happen," Edelstein said.
"The law doesn't really discriminate between who dies during the commission of one of these crimes, in this case armed robbery."
Waiting on charges
David Ovalle, a reporter for the Miami Herald, told CBC News the next step would be for the state attorney's office to decide whether Marc will be charged as an adult or not, which would probably happen within 21 days.
"In his case, because he's under the age of 18, there would not be a death penalty involved in this case," Ovalle said.
John Babcock, a spokesman for Canada's Foreign Affairs Department, said in an email statement to CBC early Tuesday that the department is "aware of reports of a serious incident involving a Canadian family in Miami.
"Canadian officials are providing assistance to the family," Babcock said. "A full investigation is underway, and we will continue assisting local authorities."
The body of Jean Wabafiyebazu will eventually be transported back to Canada.
