Miami-Dade police continue search for men suspected of killing teen over a shoe deal
Police continue to search for the suspects in this week’s shooting death of a high school senior in Southwest Miami-Dade County.
Andrea Camps, who was scheduled to graduate from Terra Environmental Research Institute in a few weeks, died in surgery at Jackson South Medical Center Tuesday.
Police say she and a male friend, whom they have not identified, were attacked by two men earlier that day at a house near the corner of Southwest 270th Street and 127th Court. At least one bullet hit Camps in the torso, and the boy was grazed in the arm, Detective Angel Rodriguez, Miami-Dade police spokesman, said.
The teens went to the house either to buy or sell shoes to someone they met on social media. Police originally said they were there to buy shoes, but that’s not clear now as the investigation continues, Rodriguez said.
“We don’t know,” he said Thursday. “We’re looking into every possibility. A transaction was to occur.”
Detectives are also trying to figure out how the meet-up turned deadly. They are looking into whether it was a robbery, a setup to ambush the teens or some sort of altercation that resulted in the men opening fire.
“Unfortunately, something went wrong, and shots were fired, and this young lady passed,” said Detective Argemis Colome, who added that finding the men involved is a top priority for the department.
“Our detectives are doing everything they can to locate these individuals,” Colome said.
After the shots were fired, the boy drove his white Jeep Wrangler, which police found parked on the side of Southwest 112th Avenue, near 248th Street. Both teens were taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, students and staff at Terra, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics-focused magnet school in South Miami-Dade, continue to mourn the popular teen.
“The loss is immeasurable but so is the love left behind. Our TERRA Family is mourning the loss of Andrea Camps, a member of the Class of 2020. Please join us as we keep her friends and family in our prayers,” a statement released by the school on Twitter reads.
WSVN-Channel 7 reported Camps was the captain of the school’s competitive dance team.
Terra, like all Florida schools, is closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and students are attending class online. However, it has listed the names and phone numbers of grief counselors on its website for those students traumatized by the tragedy.
Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho also posted a message on Twitter about Camps’ death.
“Amidst the coronavirus crisis around us, kids are still falling victim to the murderous, cowardly gun violence in the streets of our community. Lower your protective mask, or leave it up, but speak up about what you know about the latest shooting of one of our kids,” he wrote.
Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys at 305-471-8477.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 12:49 PM.
