Man killed in Opa-locka shooting was beloved school football coach

OPA-LOCKA, Fla. – Miami Norland Senior High School is mourning one of their football coaches, Keon Smith, who was killed early Monday morning in a shooting in Opa-locka.

“On behalf of Principal Gaines-Miller, Coach Heidelburg, the Miami Norland Senior High School family, and the entire football team, we’d like to offer the family of Coach Keon Smith our deepest condolences,” the school posted to its Instagram page. “It was truly an honor to work alongside him as a coach, mentor, and leader. You will be truly missed in Viking Nation.”

A spokesman for the school district confirmed to Local 10 that Smith was the quarterback coach at Miami Norland for the last couple of years.

He said a crisis team was at the school Monday for staff members and students.

According to Opa-locka police, the shooting was reported around 12:50 a.m. Monday at the Mary Alice Brown apartment complex in the 2800 block of Northwest 132nd Street.

Police said officers arrived at the scene and found a man who had been shot.

He was later identified as Smith.

According to police, Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The Miami-Dade Police Department’s Homicide Bureau has taken over the investigation into the killing.

A motive for the shooting remains unknown, and police have not released any information about the shooter.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.