Flavio Morales

The parents of Flavio Alejandro Morales described his death as a senseless act of violence that left them living a nightmare. Flavio, an 18-year-old male who attended South Dade Senior High School, was a young man whose father wondered in his grief, "Why did he die like that? Why didn’t God take me and not him?" His family, including his mother Jessica Fernandez and father Jonathan Morales, were left to mourn a life cut short.

On the evening of Monday, April 7, 2025, Flavio was with friends playing sports at Naranja Park in southwest Miami-Dade, Florida. Around 7:00 p.m., at the park located at Southwest 141st Avenue and 264th Street, he became involved in a verbal altercation with another individual. According to an arrest report, the dispute escalated when the other person, identified as 16-year-old Samuel Eugene Boyd, grabbed a chain from around Flavio’s neck. Flavio responded by punching him, after which Boyd allegedly brandished a firearm and opened fire. Flavio's family later stated that he was shot six times.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene and found Flavio suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics airlifted him in critical condition to a local hospital, but he tragically succumbed to his injuries. The shooter fled the scene immediately after the incident.

Investigators identified Samuel Eugene Boyd as the suspect in the fatal shooting. He was arrested and charged as an adult with second-degree murder. Flavio's father told reporters that two other people, who attended the same school as his son but did not know him, were with Boyd at the time of the shooting.

As of May 2025, Samuel Eugene Boyd remains in jail awaiting trial. Flavio's family continues to grapple with their loss, stating they no longer feel safe in their own community. "I lost him because he was killed, but they also lost because he's in jail," his mother said. "Nobody won or anything."