Dylan Isaacs, a 30-year-old southwestern Ontario man who was fatally shot outside a NFL football game on Sunday night in Miami, was a fun-loving person, someone who was always laughing and making jokes, and who “meant so much to everyone."
Described by his mother, Susan Isaacs, as “quite the character,” he is remembered as a devoted son who loved his family and was a loyal friend.
Isaacs was also an avid basketball player and a huge Buffalo Bills football fan, his mom said.
Shortly before he was killed on Jan. 7, Isaacs said that her son was at the Miami Dolphins-Buffalo Bills game with a couple of friends and that they had randomly bumped into a few of his cousins.
The last time the two spoke was that evening on Facetime during the game, she shared.
A few hours later, Isaacs said she got a call from Dylan's friend letting her know that he'd been shot several times not far from Hard Rock Stadium.
First responders performed life-saving measures, but he died at the scene shortly before midnight, she said. The driver fled the scene.
Dylan’s mother told CTV News that her son passed away on his late best friend’s birthday.
“They're in heaven together now. I know they are," she said.
Cecelia Skye, Dylan’s aunt, said the loss of her nephew will be deeply felt by everyone in their large family.
“He was a big guy, a big personality. He meant a lot to our family,” she said during an interview.
Skye said Dylan was a happy-go-lucky kid who “always had funny things to say” and appreciated a spirited conversation as an adult. He also liked to be involved in sports and enjoyed dancing and travelling, she said.
"Dylan loved family. He loved get-togethers,” said Skye, adding that her nephew was especially fond and supportive of the “little ones” in the family.
“He was strongly opinionated so sometimes our conversation would get kind of loud at the dinner table, but all in a good way.”
Isaacs lived on the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, Ont., but had been visiting friends in Florida.
In a written statement, the Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR) council, which is based in Oshweken, Ont., said that it is “saddened” by the loss of Dylan Isaacs, who died following a “tragic shooting in Florida on Sunday night.”
Isaacs had worked for SNGR since 2021, the council said, adding that he “dedicated his career to helping his community as an archaeological community monitor.”
“This truly is sad news,” Chief Sherri-Lynn Hill said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
At this time, Isaacs’ body is in Miami, but his family is working to bring him home to his final resting place on the Six Nations reserve.
An online crowdfunding page has been created to assist his family in bringing him home to Canada as well as with funeral and other related expenses.
According to the GoFundMe, Isaacs was fatally shot after he left the Dolphins-Bills football game on Sunday.
A Bills fan, he was reportedly walking through traffic after exiting the football stadium when he allegedly got into a verbal argument with an unknown spectator.
The organizer of the crowdfunding campaign, who identified herself as a family friend, said that this individual then tried to intentionally hit Isaacs with their vehicle before speeding off.
“When Dylan and others ran after the vehicle, a male got out of his vehicle and shot Dylan. Despite police efforts to revive him, Dylan died from the gunshots,” she wrote.
Isaacs’ family said they want to ensure that the person responsible is held accountable for his actions.
“This is a shock and I want justice. … I just want justice and I want the man to be caught or turn himself in, have some remorse because (Dylan) was such an important part of our lives,” she said.
His aunt Cecelia agreed.
"We want that person caught that did that senseless act and for him to pay for the crime,” she said.
Miami Gardens Police Department has also identified the victim as 30-year-old Dylan Brody Isaacs.
They said that, so far, no arrests have been made in connection with the case.
The vehicle involved in the shooting has been recovered, police said, but the suspect is still at-large.
A $5,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can provide information that will lead to an arrest.
Isaacs is survived by his mother, Sue, brothers Bradyn and Aaron, and several family members and friends. He will be laid to rest on the Six Nations reserve.
