Arrest made in deadly shooting of beloved Miami businessman
MIAMI - An arrest has been made in the deadly shooting of a beloved businessman and father of six children on Tuesday.
Miami police said the suspected gunman, 38-year-old Ferris Phillips II, was taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale.
Miami Police spokeswoman Kiara Delva said it was just before 11 a.m. when Nader Aweidah, 46, was discovered with gunshot wounds inside his business that friends said he had owned for 20 years, the Perfect Paint and Body Shop at 7455 NW 7th Ave., just west of I-95.
When Miami Fire Rescue arrived, he was pronounced dead.
Aweidah, who was known as "Bubba," also owned Bubba's Supermarket next to the paint and body shop.
"From our understanding, he was a very well-known individual in the community," said Delva, "This was another senseless shooting."
A woman named Crystal, a friend of Aweidah, said she couldn't believe what happened.
"He was just a great man," she said. "He was always looking out for the community. He did whatever he could. He was just a great business owner. He did whatever he could. This is such a sad story."
"This is so sad. This violence needs to stop. He loved all his kids. I don't know what happened. He didn't deserve what happened to him. What it was could have been talked through," Crystal said.