Miami-Dade

CRIME

Neighbors describe drive-by shooting in Miami that critically injured two men

 

aedgerton@miamiherald.com

The upbeat rhythm of Haitian music on the radio contrasted sharply with the somber faces of neighbors on Tuesday morning as they described the drive-by shooting the night before that left two men in critical condition.

Miami-Dade Police officers were already on the scene at the time of the crime, following up on a search warrant at 132 NE 64th Street in Miami. The county police are handling the investigation since the warrant stemmed from a Gun Bounty tip that is handled by that department.

They saw a silver Toyota RAV4 speed by at around 3 a.m. and heard shots, said Lt. Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Police.

The occupants of the car, which was travelling south of the house, began to shoot at two men who were standing outside but were not connected to the house that police were investigating. The officers returned fire, and the two victims, one 23 and one 31, were shot once each by those in the SUV.

The vehicle then fled the scene. It is unknown if the occupants of the vehicles were shot. The officers were not injured, and the victims were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

“I was asleep when I heard the shooting, but you know no one would take a chance and go out there,” said Leon Beaubrun, 61, who has lived nearby since last year. “All along this street there is crime on it, and it would be better for us if people know and they come to clean up the street. I hope they catch the people who have done this.”

As children rode by on bicycles and a woman peered from behind a curtained window across the street, the family of four sitting outside the house at the crime scene was quiet about what they had seen and said that they preferred not to be identified. One man who said he had just come for a week-long visit from Haiti seemed resigned to the violence he had witnessed the night before.

“I see death every day in Haiti,” he said. “It’s just a part of life.”

Police are looking for information on the vehicle and its occupants and are asking the community for help. If you have any information, contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at (305) 471- 8477.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

Read more Miami-Dade stories from the Miami Herald

Miami Herald

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category