Relatives in mass shooting beg for tips as Miami-Dade police chiefs vow crime crackdown

Four days after the ambush mass shooting at El Mula Banquet Hall killed three and wounded 21 — part of a week-long wave of shootings across Miami-Dade County — law enforcement officials on Thursday vowed to step up policing during the summer months as relatives of one of the murdered victims called for the community’s help to solve the crime.

Outside the strip mall where the carnage unfolded, against the backdrop of teddy bears and candles left as memorials, relatives of 26-year-old Desmond Owens begged people with information on the killers to talk to police detectives. They asked that people who took pictures or videos at the rap show offer them up to authorities.

“Listen, I know the streets. And the street says snitches get stitches. But guess what? If you don’t snitch, there will be no conviction, OK? We need a conviction for those who are responsible for innocent people out enjoying themselves caught up in senseless violence. It needs to stop,” said Schkena Brutan, Owens’ aunt, at a press conference held by the family.

Across town at the Miami-Dade Police Headquarters in Doral, police chiefs from across Miami-Dade, as well as State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, gathered to announce the creation of “Operation Summer Heat.” They described it as a county-wide step-up of police manpower and intelligence sharing to curb shootings that have happened over the past few weeks.

“You’ve got to give us information. I know there is a lot of talk and people live in fear of retaliation,” Fernández Rundle said. “We do have victim protection procedures. We know if you need it, we will do what we can to protect you. People want us to get the killers and guns off the streets.”

During the past week, police departments across Miami-Dade County have recorded over a dozen other shootings as people streamed into town for the Memorial Day holiday. Among them: a wild car chase-and-shooting near a Miami casino, a mass shooting in Wynwood that left one dead and six wounded, the murder of the son of a former state senator and a shooting outside a swank South Beach restaurant that ended in one man paralyzed and a rapper behind bars.

It was early Sunday that three masked gunmen got out of a stolen Nissan Pathfinder, spraying a volley of bullets at a crowd gathered in front of El Mula, which was hosting a rap show. Surveillance video shows the crowd scattered in panic, as people crumpled to the ground wounded, puffs of dust exploding in the air from bullets hitting the walls.

One video circulating online showed possible gunfire erupting from another car in the parking lot, although it was unclear if it was return fire or shots at the crowd. According to one law enforcement source, gunfire erupted in at least three parts of the parking lot, as possible return fire. In all, 99 spent bullet casings were found on the scene, from at least nine different guns, according to the source.

The Nissan SUV, which was reported stolen on May 15, was later discovered in a canal in North Miami Beach. Investigators believe the vehicle might have been used in a string of separate shootings from North Miami-Dade, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

Owens was killed, along with Clayton Dillard III, also 26. A third person, Shankquia Lechelle Peterson, 32., died Thursday night, police announced.

While the exact targets of the El Mula shooting are as of yet undetermined, investigators were still trying to untangle possible social-media feuds involving the local rappers who hosted the show. Detectives are probing the possible involvement of two rival groups from the Opa-locka area. Their tensions go back years and have been fueled by threats made online and in rap lyrics, multiple law-enforcement sources say.

This week, Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez has repeatedly emphasized that social-media feuds are fueling the recent spate of shootings.

“A lot of these violent acts you’re seeing on their social media. You’re seeing them call each other out, they’re giving verbal cues,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez said at Thursday’s press conference. “Some of the songs have verbal cues that are triggering rolling violence, real-time violence. Back in the ‘90s it was drug turf wars. Here it’s a little bit of that but a lot of it is showing off.”

Social media helped spread the word about the concert at El Mula, which was was hosted by Alley Boy Music Group, for an album release for a rapper named ABMG Spitta. The group is affiliated with another group called ApeLand Records.

Spitta, whose real name is Courtney Wilson, was not injured in the shooting and took down his Instagram page in the hours after the shooting. The Herald has been unable to reach Wilson, who was on probation for attacking a man at an arcade in Davie. His defense attorney declined to comment.

Another victim, Johntrell Love, 21, was shot in the head and remains in critical condition. Also known as “JRG Hatchett,” of ApeLand Records, he was supposed to perform at El Mula the night of the shooting, according to online flyers. A lawyer for ApeLand denied that anyone associated with the group was targeted.

“We don’t know anything about that. We’re just a record label,” said Miami Gardens attorney Martin Gilliam. “We have young gentlemen just trying to make their name in the rap game. As far as gang activity, that’s not us. That’s not what we’re about.”

Another rapper, Antonio “FoePack” Jones, 21, of Opa-locka, was also wounded outside the hall. He was shot in the foot.

As for Owens, he was a father of two children under five, a girl and a boy, both of whom lived with him.

“Next week we are going to say our final goodbyes to Desmond, and we hope that before we say our final goodbyes that our community shows up for us and calls the police. Gives us some information. You don’t have to give your name, you don’t have to give anything about yourself, but just give us the information,” said his cousin, Ashley Gantt, an attorney who is representing the family.

Owens’ mother, 43-year-old Melanie Brutan, sobbed as her knees slowly buckled and she was hugged and held by her sister and another relative. She walked by the teddy bears and candles, and looked at the letter-shaped balloons that spelled ‘Dez,’ before bursting into tears.

Brutan, his aunt, said he “was on the right track. He was doing something positive for himself, for his children and for his family.”

Owens had previous run-ins with the law, and investigators are now probing to see if any of his previous cases might have given someone motive to shoot at him or friends. Owen was arrested in a murder case in 2014 and the charge was dropped when his DNA was not found on the murder weapon, and the credibility of an eyewitness was questioned.

He was also arrested on separate attempted murder charges in 2015 and 2020. Both the cases were dropped. In the latter case, police alleged Owens was at the “Back Blues” apartments in Opa-locka and shot at a man after telling him “this was not his neighborhood.” The case, however, was dismissed after witnesses refused to cooperate.

“Desmond was really a nice guy. He was very friendly. He had a great sense of humor. It’s really a loss,” said his most recent defense attorney, Andrew Rier, who along with Jonathan Jordan, was representing him in a firearm possession case that was still ongoing at the time of his death.

Since the shooting, friends of Owens have posted numerous photos and videos on Instagram honoring him. “Nobody safe I love ya Big Bucks,” one friend posted.

Fears of retaliation

Some of the posts from Owens’ friends have been equally as ominous to law enforcement officers, who fear retaliations.

“We gon paint tha city red. We ain’t clearing up no rumors,” the same friend posted on his Instagram.

Asked for comment from the Herald about the shooting, the associate who posted it simply replied on an Instagram direct message: “LOL.”

According to multiple sources, investigators with Miami, Miami-Dade and Miami Gardens police met Tuesday to share intelligence on the various beefs and possible retaliation efforts. One example: In the hours after the Mula shooting, a car dropping off someone at the Back Blues was chased into Miami Gardens and shot at by gunmen in two SUVs. No one was hit.

Investigators are exploring earlier homicides to see if there are connections, including the May 23 death of 19-year-old Antwon Streeter, who was shot to death in Opa-locka. His funeral was held Thursday evening in Miami Gardens — with numerous police cars parked outside, in an attempt to ward off any violence.

“People are walking around the Back Blues with ARs. It’s almost like open carry. There’s so many beefs going, it’s like a war zone,” said one law enforcement source.

This story was originally published June 3, 2021 at 6:50 PM.