Nathan Bentley was a college student and recent high school graduate whose mother said he was devoted to his younger siblings.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — The family of an 18-year-old killed in a Northwest Miami-Dade shooting was mourning a college student and recent high school graduate Saturday as detectives searched for the person authorities say shot him following a verbal dispute.
Nathan Bentley died after being shot late Friday at a fast-food restaurant in the area of Northwest 27th Avenue and 108th Street, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said Bentley was taken to a hospital in critical condition after they arrived at the scene, but he later died.
Bentley’s mother, Nohely Bogert, told Local 10 News that her son was a student at Miami Dade College and had recently graduated from Hallandale High School. She said he was an important presence in his family and served as an example to his younger brothers and sisters.
“He was the star of the family, the one that led with making good decisions,” Bogert said. “He was a good example.” She said Bentley, who was also known as “G Baby,” enjoyed rapping and was a devoted older brother. Her comments offered one of the first public portraits of the teenager as investigators worked to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.
Bogert said she had been watching a football game with Bentley at a field across the street before the shooting. She told the station the shooting happened outside a McDonald’s. The sheriff’s office described the location as a fast-food restaurant and said its investigation began after deputies responded to the area Friday.
According to deputies, Bentley became involved in a verbal altercation with another person. Investigators said the dispute escalated before the other person produced a gun and shot Bentley. The person then fled, deputies said. Authorities had not publicly identified that person or announced an arrest by Saturday morning.
Detectives spent hours examining the scene. Local 10 reported that investigators gathered evidence, including a cellphone brought to their attention by a bystander. Officials had not publicly explained whether the phone was connected to Bentley, the person being sought or another individual, and investigators had not disclosed what evidence they believed it might contain.
Authorities also had not publicly explained what started the argument or disclosed a motive beyond saying the shooting followed a verbal confrontation. No information had been released indicating whether Bentley and the other person knew each other before the encounter.
For Bentley’s family, the investigation was unfolding alongside the immediate loss of a young man who had recently moved from high school into college. Bogert said her son had many younger siblings who looked to him as an example. Bentley’s car remained at the shooting scene for a time after his death, she said.
No arrest had been announced as of Saturday morning. Miami-Dade sheriff’s detectives continued investigating the shooting while Bentley’s family waited for answers about the confrontation that led to his death.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.