Colorado woman whose husband was killed in Miami Beach, shielding son from gunman, recalls his final moments

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The wife of a Colorado man who was killed last week while trying to shield his 1-year-old son from a gunman at a Miami Beach outdoor restaurant, recalled her husband's final moments as he pleaded with the suspect before he was shot dead. 

Karina Olguin told Miami's WPLG-TV that she wants Dustin Wakefield, 21, to be remembered as a hero and an "amazing, loving father." The couple was visiting from Colorado and was dining with extended relatives at the La Cerveceria restaurant around 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24 when the gunman, identified as Tamarius Davis, 22, allegedly approached the toddler. 

Wakefield stood in front of the shooter to shield his son, family members said.

Dustin Wakefield, 21, and son. The Colorado resident shielded the child from a gunman before he was killed while dining at an outdoor restaurant in Miami Beach, his family  said.  (Angela Wakefield)

"Dustin was begging for his life," Olguin recalled. "He was like, ‘I have a son, please, he’s only 1 year old."

"I was like, ‘Dustin the baby.’ I yelled," Olguin said. "Dustin got up, got Eli and took him to my grandma. He was right behind me," she said of the shooter. 

"I remember him leaving. It was fast," she added. 

Davis allegedly opened fire, sending patrons running for their lives. The Georgia resident, who allegedly told police that he was high on mushrooms and felt empowered, was seen dancing afterward. 

The child, Elijah, was not harmed. 

Tamarius Blair Davis Jr. fatally shot a tourist eating dinner with his family at a Miami Beach restaurant, police and a family member say. (Miami-Dade Police Department via AP)

During the interview with Olguin, Elijah can be heard saying "Daddy" when he sees his photo. 

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Davis was promptly arrested after the shooting and allegedly confessed to the killing. He was charged with murder and is being held without bond. 

"In memory of my son, I ask: Do something good like he would," Wakefield's mom, Lora, said. "Smile at a stranger, give a hug to somebody. See the person in front of you. Really see them. Don't let this world desensitize you to what love is."