On night before Fourth of July, ‘barrage of bullets’ kills passenger in passing car

A day before the sky above South Florida erupted in a fury of fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July, a “barrage of bullets” fired at a passing car in Dania Beach killed a 48-year-old man and injured the car’s driver.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office said an unidentified man opened fire on the 2008 gray Chevy Impala just before midnight on Wednesday, killing Prentice Mathis, of Hollywood, and injuring a second man, who ditched the vehicle after he was shot in the leg.

The pair had been driving west on Northwest Third Street approaching Ninth Avenue when the gunman fired multiple shots, BSO said. Police located the driver about two blocks from the site of the shooting. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue transported the man to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he was treated for an injury and released. Homicide detectives are withholding his name for his protection, BSO said.

The car coasted and stopped against a tree. Deputies found Mathis’ body in the passenger seat. He had been shot multiple times.

Anyone with information on Wednesday’s shooting in Dania Beach may contact BSO at 954-321-4262 or, to file an anonymous tip, Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or www.browardcrimestoppers.org. Anonymous tips that result in an arrest are eligible for a reward of up to $3,000.

This story was originally published July 5, 2019 at 4:30 PM.