Associated Press
The uncle of a state lawmaker was fatally shot while mowing his lawn the day before Christmas, authorities said.
Officers found Dennis McGhee, 57, dead with a chest wound in front of his home Tuesday morning, Miami-Dade police said. His nephew is Rep. Kionne McGhee, the top Democrat in the Florida House of Representatives.
Investigators weren’t immediately releasing a motive for the shooting, but McGhee told the Miami Herald that his uncle was struck by a stray bullet fired nearby.
“He was not the intended target,” McGhee said.
Officers had responded to the home after being alerted by a nearby Shotspotter, an electronic monitoring system that records gunfire in real time.
Kionne McGhee said his uncle was a good guy, who was recognized as the “neighborhood uncle.” He was married with children and worked in construction.
“When you lose someone like Dennis McGhee, it’s hard for anyone to come to grips,” Kionne McGhee said.
No arrests have been reported in the shooting.
Kionne McGhee was first elected to the Florida House in 2012. His district stretches from Florida City to Richmond Heights.
