MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A Georgia man who fatally shot a Colorado tourist inside a South Florida restaurant told authorities he was “high on mushrooms, which made him feel empowered,” according to an arrest report.
Tamarius Blair Davis, Jr., of Norcross, was charged with second-degree murder with a weapon and attempted murder, according to Miami-Dade County online booking records. Davis was erroneously referred to as “David” in an arrest report, the Miami Herald reported, citing online booking records.
Davis is accused in Tuesday evening’s shooting of Dustin Wakefield, 21, of Castle Rock, Colorado, according to the newspaper.
Police said Davis shot Wakefield, who was dining with his family in the outdoor section of La Cerveceria de Barrio, a restaurant in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, WFOR reported.
Davis told police he “randomly chose” to shoot Wakefield, the television station reported.
He had been chasing another man and wounded him before encountering Wakefield, according to WFOR.
Wakefield’s uncle told the Herald that his nephew was vacationing with his family, wife and 1-year-old son
“This guy came in with a gun, waving it, saying, ‘It’s time to die,’” Mike Wakefield told the newspaper. “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.”
Mike Wakefield was not in South Florida at the time of the shooting but told the Herald he heard the account of his nephew’s death from his family.
Moments after the shooting, cellphone video captured a man believed to be Davis dancing in the restaurant’s patio, WSVN reported.
“He started dancing on top of the guy,” a witness told the television station. “I don’t know why.”
Markeeta Bradford told WFOR that she was at the restaurant when the shooting occurred at about 6:30 p.m. EDT.
He (Dustin) said to the gunman, “He said this is my son. This is my son. This is my family and he shot him three times,” Bradford told the television station. “And he did a little twirl and he walked off as if nothing was going on.
“I feel hurt. I feel in pain. I feel unsafe. I feel like I am no longer on vacation. I feel like this was a horror movie.”
Dustin Wakefield’s mother, Lora Wakefield told WPLG that her son will be remembered as a “worshipper” and “the best dad ever.”
According to his uncle, Dustin Wakefield worked in the construction business and loved music and hunting.
“He was the kindest kid,” Mike Wakefield told the Herald. “He loved his family. He loved being a dad,” he said.
A GoFundMe page was started for Dustin Wakefield’s family.
Davis was jailed early Wednesday, according to the Herald. He made his first appearance in Miami-Dade bond court on Wednesday and was ordered held in jail before trial. His defense attorney did not return a phone call from the newspaper.
