A shooter killed another man as he walked to a convenience store, MDSO says

A 53-year-old Miami man is behind bars, accused of fatally shooting another man as he walked to a convenience store Wednesday night, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Alexander Mills has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Jonathan Lucas. Mills was arrested on Thursday.

Deputies say the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, when Lucas left his home to walk to a convenience store at 22339 SW 112th Ave. While on his way, Lucas called his girlfriend and told her that Mills — who had previously threatened to kill him — was following him and firing shots, according to the sheriff’s office. He urged her to call police.

Authorities have not confirmed how the two men knew each other.

Responding deputies found Lucas in the front yard of a nearby home at 11535 SW 224th St., about half a mile from the convenience store, and shot several times. He was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center, where he died.

Deputies say surveillance footage from the convenience store reportedly shows a Ford F-150 driving erratically through the parking lot. Mills got out of the truck and chased Lucas before shooting him, they said. Four spent shell casings were recovered at the scene.

Investigators identified Mills as the shooter using license plate reader data, which they said showed the Ford truck was registered to him. He was later located driving the vehicle and taken into custody by the MDSO Homicide Bureau.

According to the arrest report, as Mills was being detained, he stated that he had been waiting for police and acknowledged being the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident.

He later claimed he acted in self-defense, a statement authorities say contradicts the surveillance footage.

Jail records show Mills is in custody at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and has a bond status of “to be set.”