Brickell

Teen stabbed in his sleep at Brickell high-rise before suspect fell to his death: Police

The stabbing happened shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday on the 34th floor at the Icon Residences at 485 Brickell Avenue, Miami Police officials said.

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The victim of a fatal stabbing at a luxury high-rise in Brickell over the weekend has been identified as a 17-year-old who was killed in his sleep, while the details about his killing and how the suspect later fell to his death remain shrouded in mystery.

The stabbing happened shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday on the 34th floor at the Icon Residences at 485 Brickell Avenue, which also houses the W Hotel, Miami Police officials said.

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Once officers arrived, they found a victim with apparent stab wounds who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities initially identified him as a man, but late Monday night, they said he was 17-year-old Dominic Ferrell.

Miami Police said the teenager was killed in his sleep, and said the crime is not a domestic incident. They added that there was no sign of forced entry and the door to the unit was unlocked.

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"We're totally clueless as to why this happened. That's also part of the investigation because, what led to this? There was no party going on, it was not a large group. It seems like whoever did this just went into that apartment," Miami Police spokesman Mike Vega said.

Miami Police and SWAT respond to a fatal stabbing in Brickell on June 8, 2025.
NBC6
NBC6
Miami Police and SWAT respond to a fatal stabbing in Brickell on June 8, 2025.

The incident set off a massive police response as SWAT and officers swarmed the area.

Police said surveillance cameras showed someone running out of the building after the stabbing in the direction of a building across the street that's under construction.

Later in the day, officers found that suspect dead in the building. He was identified as 26-year-old Kyrill R. Kehl.

Police on Monday said it appears Kehl somehow fell to his death inside the building under construction, though they said it's unknown if it was intentional or accidental.

Authorities said they don't know if Kehl and Ferrell knew each other.

Miami Police respond to a fatal stabbing at the Icon Residences in Brickell on June 8, 2025.
NBC6
NBC6
Miami Police respond to a fatal stabbing at the Icon Residences in Brickell on June 8, 2025.

On Monday, police had a mobile crime lab set up outside the building as they continued to investigate the incident. Crime scene investigators and fire crews were seen examining a grassy area outside the Icon Brickell.

The stabbing had residents of the Icon and nearby buildings rattled.

"I'm across the street from where this happened. I’ve just never seen that many police, and police cars, and SWAT teams ever," said Rick Colangelo. "They had everything blocked off, there must've have been 30 to 50 police cars in the area. I've been here for five years, and I’ve never seen anything like this."

Some said they were shocked the incident happened in one of Miami's busiest and most affluent neighborhoods.

Community leaders and residents are now calling for increased transparency from building management and improved security measures throughout the Brickell area.

NBC6 reached out to the management team at Icon Brickell for comment but has not yet received a response.

“People are concerned with safety,” said Christian Tang, owner of the Brickell & Downtown Miami Community Group. “They feel uneasy with what’s going on around the community in recent incidents in the last two, three, four months.”

Tang says the stabbing comes on the heels of other alarming crimes, including an attempted rape reported last month at a different apartment complex just blocks away.

Police said they're speaking with potential witnesses and trying to learn more about the incident.

"There's a lot, a lot to investigate and a lot of doors to knock on and get more information as to what happened," Vega said.

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