Jan 8
Watch: A Florida Man Shared a New Year's Kiss with his Boyfriend; Moments Later He Died from a Bullet
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Police in Florida are investigating whether it was a stray shot fired into the air that killed Fort Lauderdale resident Angel Nunez just after the clock rang in the New Year. Nunez, 50, died from a bullet moments after sharing a celebratory kiss with his boyfriend, Chris Dillon, according to NBC Miami.
The bereaved Dillon shared his story with the news outlet, saying that the men "had the most beautiful kiss" as midnight arrived on New Year's Eve. Dillon added that he told Nunez "'I love you,' he said 'I love you,' and then he fell."
Dillon didn't realize what had happened at first. "I did not think he was dead," the grieving man sobbed, "I did not think he was dead."
Lifting Nunez's shirt, Dillon found a bullet wound to his stomach. Nunez, the report said, "was not responsive," and Dillon called for help. "Police and paramedics showed up," NBC Miami detailed, but "hours later, his boyfriend was dead."
"I cried, I started sobbing on the floor," Dillon told the news channel. "It's heartbreaking."
"The Fort Lauderdale Police Department told WTVJ that it is investigating the shooting," Metro Weekly reported. "They said it did not appear to be targeted."
Still, the NBC Miami report said that police have not ruled anything out.
If it was a stray bullet that killed Nunez, it was not the only such tragedy to mar the start of 2025.
"A stray bullet is what Miami-Dade Police say killed a 10-year-old girl just after midnight Wednesday morning near Allapattah," NBC Miami noted.
Dillon condemned the girl's death, saying, "Somebody has to stand up to this atrocity," and called for an end to the practice of firing guns in celebration of the new year.
To watch the NBC Miami news clip, follow this link.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
