Mother of Photographer Killed in North Miami: ‘He Was Deep and Caring'

The mother of a photographer who was shot and killed while working with a young rapper in North Miami is searching for her son's killer.

Barbara McAdam believes her son, 31-year-old Justin McAdam and 22-year-old Kenson Pierre were ambushed in the Wednesday morning shooting in the 1100 block of Northeast 133rd Street.

"I don't know how you can possibly have a life after you kill a human being," a grieving Barbara McAdam told NBC 6, in an exclusive interview Thursday. "He was deep and caring. The reality of his loss has settled in."


McAdam said she was very proud of her 31-year-old son, a U.S. Navy veteran

"The Navy is honor, courage, commitment and that was Justin's life," she said.

Upon returning to South Florida McAdam would eventually launch JBlanco Productions, filming music videos for local artists getting their start. His mother says work brought him to North Miami on Wednesday.

"He was standing at his car and the laptop was on his car, the camera was there, his iPhone," she said.


All of those work tools were recovered at the scene. McAdam had met up with Pierre, an up and coming rapper better known as Short Kidd. They were across the street from Pierre's home when McAdam says they were ambushed.

"He was shot in the head and then he died on the scene," she said.

A double murder that has two families trying to make sense of what they deem a senseless crime.

"He would always bring somebody's spirit up and we don't have to deal with that, now he's not here anymore," sister Merlande Pierre said.


McAdam, who said her son will have a military funeral, is pleading with the killer or anyone with information to come forward.

"Please don't do this to another mother, another family," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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