Jaheim and Gianni Pierre were remembered by relatives after a visit meant to protect their sister turned deadly.
MIAMI, Fla. — Two brothers who went to check on their sister because of domestic violence concerns were shot and killed inside her Liberty City apartment, leaving their family grieving and her boyfriend charged with murder.
Police said Jaheim Pierre, 23, and Gianni Pierre, 28, died May 2 after a confrontation with Antwan Carter, 31, at their sister’s apartment on Northwest 17th Avenue. Carter, who had been dating the woman for about four years, faces two counts of first-degree murder and was ordered held without bond.
Before the case became a court file, it began as a family response to fear. The woman told police her brothers came to her apartment to look after her because of a previous history of domestic violence involving Carter. Police have not publicly identified the woman, and the arrest affidavit does not describe each earlier incident she referenced. But the record makes clear that the brothers did not arrive as strangers to the relationship. They came as family members who believed their sister needed protection. Inside the apartment, concern turned into argument. Police said Jaheim Pierre argued with his sister, Carter interrupted, and Jaheim Pierre punched Carter. The fight then widened to include the three men.
Carter left the apartment after that scuffle, according to police. He later told officers he went outside for air and to get his wallet and keys from his car. Investigators said security footage showed him return with an unknown object that he put in his front right pocket. While Carter was outside, the woman locked the front door and urged her brothers not to open it. Police said Carter banged on the door and shouted at the men inside. The affidavit says he paced outside for several minutes, then entered when Jaheim Pierre opened the door. Investigators said Carter charged in while reaching toward his pocket. Gunshots followed almost immediately.
The brothers died in different parts of the apartment. Gianni Pierre was sitting on a couch when he was shot, police said. Miami Fire Rescue rushed him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead. Jaheim Pierre was also hit, then ran toward his sister, police said. He collapsed on top of her as Carter continued firing and was later found bleeding in a closet. Fire rescue personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. Police said the woman ran from the apartment barefoot with her feet and clothing covered in blood. Officers later found spent casings, projectiles and pools of blood inside the apartment.
The sister’s account added a painful detail after the gunfire stopped. According to the affidavit, Carter sat on the edge of the bed and told her, “See what you made me do?” She responded, “I told you to leave,” and then fled. Police said she approached officers and told them Carter was her boyfriend and the two men who had been shot were her brothers. Carter also spoke to police, according to investigators. “I am the one; I have the firearm,” he allegedly told an officer. Police said he had a 9 mm Glock 43 in his right pocket and surrendered it at the scene.
The public grieving began within days. At a memorial in Liberty City, relatives and friends gathered for Jaheim and Gianni Pierre. The gathering focused less on the details of the affidavit and more on who the brothers were before their final visit to the apartment. A man identified in local coverage as Gregory said the brothers were “the life of the party.” That memory stood beside the facts of the case: two young men, ages 23 and 28, dead after trying to protect their sister, and a family now forced to move through both mourning and court dates. A fundraiser was also reported to have been created to help with funeral expenses.
The case places the sister in two roles at once. She is a grieving family member who lost both brothers in the same attack, and she is also one of the key witnesses in the murder prosecution. Her statements help explain why the brothers came over, what happened before Carter left the apartment, what she heard while the door was locked and what Carter allegedly said after the shooting. Police also relied on video, physical evidence and Carter’s own words. Prosecutors will likely use those pieces to argue that Carter left, returned with a gun and fired after forcing his way back into the apartment. The defense may argue that the earlier fight shaped Carter’s fear and actions.
Carter’s account, as recorded by police, differs from the state’s likely theory. He said both brothers had their fists raised and were ready to fight again. The affidavit does not say the brothers had guns or other weapons. Carter was arrested at the scene and later appeared in court, where a judge denied bond. Local court reporting said he pleaded not guilty. Under the law, the charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted. Prosecutors must prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, including the elements required for first-degree murder. Defense lawyers may seek to examine the full video, witness statements, forensic reports and any prior domestic violence records.
For the neighborhood, the shooting turned a private apartment into a public scene. The address, 5329 NW 17th Ave., became the place where fire rescue crews, police officers, evidence technicians and grieving relatives converged. Local video reporting said a barrage of gunfire could be heard inside the unit before a woman ran into the hallway yelling that he had shot them. The detail of the locked door also stands out. Police said the sister tried to keep Carter out and told her brothers not to open it. A decision at a doorway became the turning point in a case now defined by two deaths, a surviving witness and a murder prosecution.
For now, Carter remains charged in the deaths of Jaheim and Gianni Pierre. The next phase is expected to unfold in Miami-Dade court as prosecutors and defense attorneys review video, police reports, forensic evidence and witness statements.
Author note: Last updated May 24, 2026.