As a Pembroke Pines family grieves while making funeral arrangements for a 23-year-old military recruit, police have arrested the 19-year-old man accused of killing him.
Bryan Carl Fenders Bernadelle is facing a charge of premeditated murder in the fatal shooting of Kadeem Smith, court records show.
It happened about 1 a.m. Wednesday, in the 10300 block of Northwest Eighth Street, police said.
His family told police Smith had just returned home from his restaurant job afraid that someone had been following him.
Some Bella Grande apartment complex neighbors reported hearing gunfire. Officers arrived to find Smith with several gunshot wounds.
His mother, Marie Senior, told WPLG Ch.10, police had called to tell her of the arrest.
“The first thing I said was, ‘Thank you Jesus.’ they did arrest somebody,” she said. “At least people will be brought to justice a little faster than later.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for Smith’s funeral.
Bernadelle is being held without bond in the Broward Main jail, records show.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan
Before fatal shooting, man feared he was followed, reports say