A 32-year-old Haitian-American father was shot and killed outside his parents’ Fort Lauderdale home in July, and investigators are continuing to work to determine what led to the deadly attack.
Mike Menard was found inside his vehicle in the 1300 block of Northwest 13th Court in the Lauderdale Manors neighborhood shortly after 4:20 a.m. on July 8. Fort Lauderdale police had responded to a ShotSpotter alert reporting gunfire in the area. Menard was found with a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance video captured the moments before the shooting. Menard can be seen taking out the trash at his parents’ home before walking toward his vehicle. A person then approaches the car and opens fire before running back toward another vehicle and leaving the area. Local 10 reported that the surveillance footage captured nine shots being fired.
Police found damage to the driver’s-side window, and nearby vehicles were also struck by gunfire. Detectives took over the case as a homicide investigation and asked anyone with information to come forward.
Menard’s father, Philippe Menard, told local news outlets that his son was born in Haiti and moved to the United States when he was about 3 years old. He said Mike was the first person in the family to graduate from college and earned a criminal justice degree from the University of Central Florida. Menard also leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter.
Philippe Menard also told reporters that the family had experienced other troubling incidents shortly before the shooting, including a fire set near their home and gunfire directed at the house. He questioned whether those incidents could be connected to his son’s death, but authorities have not publicly confirmed a connection.
The case has left Menard’s family searching for answers as investigators work to identify everyone responsible for the killing.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
