‘Go out of his way for anybody': Loved ones mourn man killed in Broward triple murder
'For the first 13 years of his life… he was the whole side of attention,' said Ferrin's uncle John David, who has lived with Ferrin for the last two years in the home on North Plum Bay Parkway where Ferrin was fatally gunned down on Feb. 16.
Ferrin, 36, was killed in a triple murder that rocked the suburban community of Tamarac. Ferrin, Mary Catherine Gingles, 34, and her father 64-year-old David Ponzer, were found shot to death in homes on the usually quiet street.
Nathan Alan Gingles, Mary's estranged husband, killed Ponzer while he drank his morning coffee and kidnapped his 4-year-old daughter, deputies say. Mary ran for her life and banged on several neighbors' doors, pleading for help, before she ended up inside Ferrin's home.
READ MORE: Brother, uncle of slain Tamarac victims: 'I wake up all-night long to this nightmare'
Ferrin, according to David, was asleep when Mary ran into the house through an unlocked door.
Mary and Nathan's 4-year-old daughter Seraphine told investigators she witnessed the killings. Nathan, 43, is jailed without bond on a slew of charges, including murder, kidnapping and child abuse.
'I just don't understand'
Ferrin's loss has been a devastating blow to his loved ones, including David. Ferrin, described a 'caring and gentle soul,' was a natural healer remembered for his great massages.
'If I threw my back out or anything like that, he could fix me up in five minutes,' David said.
But for David, one of the hardest parts of processing his heartbreak is that the murders could have been prevented.
'This guy [Nathan] broke that restraining order over and over… and over again,' David said. 'And BSO did absolutely nothing.'
READ MORE: 'I am fearful for my life': Slain wife of man who kidnapped daughter warned of danger
BSO did not seize Nathan's weapons after a Broward judge on Dec. 30 granted Mary a temporary restraining order, one of the key points where BSO 'fell short,' Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said Wednesday, announcing the suspension of seven deputies connected to the case.
There had been a 'robust amount' of calls to Mary's home, according to Tony.
READ MORE: 'System of failures.' Had BSO seized weapons, triple murders may have been prevented: expert
Nathan was heavily armed, records show. He owned 20 various firearms, 'most of which have silencers, and are semi-automatic, handguns and more sophisticated firearms, all of which the Mother believes ... [are] to kill the Mother with, as what else would he need silencers for,'' according to a divorce petition Mary filed in Broward circuit court in February 2024, seeking an end to their six-year marriage.
David said that neither he nor his nephew knew the Gingles. But once while walking his dogs with a friend early last year, David saw law enforcement confiscating Nathan's firearms.
'We look over there, and they're pulling maybe 30 rifles and guns away from this guy's house,' David said. '...I just don't understand what [Nathan] thought he was accomplishing.'
'No greater friend'
Ferrin was born and raised in Hollywood and graduated from J.P. Taravella High School. He attended the University of Central Florida and Florida International University, earning a degree in business, according to his LinkedIn.
He worked as a sales manager for many years and was in the process of obtaining his real estate license, according to his obituary. Outside of work, Ferrin dedicated his time to coaching his nephew's little league baseball team and working with organizations supporting the homeless.
'Some people go their entire lives wondering if they've made a difference—Andrew never had that problem,' his friend, Mikey Hall, commented on Ferrin's obituary page.
'There was no greater friend than Andrew Ferrin,' Hall added. 'He'd literally give a stranger the shirt off his back and then spend the rest of the night acting like it was normal to be shirtless. I will miss you every day.'
That's a sentiment echoed by many who knew and loved Ferrin.
'He was a kind-hearted person who would go out of his way for anybody,' David said.
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