In the predawn hours of May 19, 2025, 19-year-old Myrah Zeigler was shot outside a short-term rental in Fort Lauderdale's River Oaks neighborhood, where a get-together had spiraled into a confrontation.
Officers responding around 4:30 a.m. to the area near Southwest 8th Avenue and Southwest 16th Street found Myrah Zeigler in the roadway; she was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center and pronounced dead soon after.
Investigators said a disturbance among a group of adults escalated, a
man produced a handgun, and the fatal shot followed.
The address was identified by local outlets as a duplex used as an Airbnb, drawing neighbors into a morning scene of police lights and cordoned streets.
Through the day and into the next, relatives painted a portrait of Myrah Zeigler as a joyful protector, a young woman whose instinct was to step in for others.
They spoke from grief and resolve, urging anyone with knowledge of what happened to come forward, while detectives circulated a request for tips as they worked the case.
The refrain from the family was clear: they wanted answers and accountability for the life that had been taken.
Weeks later, the investigation reached a turning point.
On July 6–7, Fort Lauderdale police announced the arrest of 19-year-old Larry Smith during a traffic stop; he was booked on a warrant and charged with second-degree murder with a firearm in the killing of Myrah Zeigler outside the Airbnb.
News reports described evidence being collected from the scene and noted that authorities continued to invite additional witnesses to speak with detectives as prosecutors prepared the case.
As the court process unfolded, coverage documented moments that deepened the family's anguish, including a judge's decision allowing the defendant a brief, supervised release to attend his father's funeral while remaining on GPS monitoring before returning to custody the same day.
By late summer, reports continued to list the charge as second-degree murder, with a trial ahead and Myrah Zeigler's family maintaining public calls for justice.
