A mother and her four-year-old son lost their lives in an apparent murder-suicide that took place outside a Chase Bank in southwest Miami-Dade, Florida, on Friday morning, June 7, 2024. The suspect also took his own life, according to authorities.
The tragic event unfolded around 7:30 a.m. in the drive-thru of the bank, located at the intersection of Bird Road and 152nd Avenue. Miami-Dade Police Detective Luis Sierra reported that an on-duty sergeant who was patrolling the area responded after hearing the gunshots.
Detailing the incident, Detective Sierra explained that a woman in a minivan, with her young son inside, had driven up to the bank’s ATM. Shortly after, a man in an SUV pulled up alongside her and began firing, resulting in the woman and her child’s deaths before he ended his own life.
The police have identified the victims as 43-year-old Odalys Bancroft and her son, Theodore Couto, who was nearing his fifth birthday. The shooter, found dead at the scene, was identified as Michael Andres Pineda Lozano, Bancroft’s former boyfriend.
The shocking incident has left the community reeling. “Never in a million years would I expect anything like this to happen,” Bancroft’s brother, Michael Trujillo, commented. He went on to say, “I can’t fathom any circumstances that would lead a normal person to commit such an act against a woman and her child. They were in the process of breaking up, but I never noticed any indications of fear that something like this could happen.”
Bancroft held the position of director of regulatory affairs at Jackson Health System, where she had been employed since 2015. Starting her career as a clinical staff nurse, she later assumed leadership roles at Holtz Children’s Hospital. “Odalys was profoundly committed to our mission and was always proud to represent Jackson. Her contributions have left a lasting impact, making Jackson a better place,” said Jackson Health System CEO and President Carlos A. Migoya.
Theodore, fondly referred to as Teddy, had just graduated from Pre-K-4 and was about to turn five. “Everywhere that he was, it was always just a happier place with him around,” remarked Trujillo.
Scene footage showed a silver BMW SUV parked next to a dark-colored minivan at the bank’s ATM, both surrounded by yellow police tape. The sight of the child’s car seat inside the minivan underscored the gravity of the incident.
Relatives were observed conversing with police outside the bank, appearing visibly distraught. Teddy’s father was present at the scene on Friday, appearing frantic as police attempted to comfort him.
This incident marks the latest in a worrying trend of murder-suicides in the Miami-Dade area. In the previous week, two other similar cases were reported. On Thursday, June 6, a shooting in Coral Gables, Florida, left a man and woman dead, and the woman’s son in the hospital. On Sunday, June 2, a man in southwest Miami-Dade killed his elderly parents and partner before taking his own life.
