MIAMI – A drive-by shooting in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood left one person dead, sent six people to the hospital and has triggered a search for the gunman responsible.
According to City of Miami Police, the shooting happened along Northwest First Court and 20th Street, just before midnight Friday.
Surveillance video outside a home near the scene captured the audio of the gunshots ringing out, one after another. Moments later, the sound of tires screeching could be heard.
People who were out and about said it sounded like a war zone after more than 60 shots rang out.
“Why does it have to be like this?” said one witness.
“We heard, like, 60 gunshots,” said witness Jeffery Combs.
As the sun rose Saturday morning, close to 100 yellow evidence markers lined the block of Wynwood after Friday night’s shootout.
Witnesses described the shooting as a drive-by.
“I remember it was just the gun and smoke coming out, like, the back window because he was in the back of the car,” said a witness.
“I saw [a victim] on the ground, just laying there, just trying to get help,” said witness Jawan Williams.
The barrage of bullets sent tourists visiting South Florida for the holiday weekend scrambling for cover.
“All I’m saying is that there were gunshots everywhere, everybody just trying to get in their cars and go,” said Williams.
“We could’ve been shot or hit at any time without even knowing,” said Combs.
“I thought it was fireworks,” said another witness.
The shooter was long gone by the time officers arrived.
Police were alerted by a ShotSpotter in the area just before midnight. When they arrived, they found several people suffering from gunshot wounds.
A few blocks away, some victims drove themselves to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
A total of six people were hit by gunfire, and the shooter remains on the run as of Monday afternoon.
“I think it’s crazy, because now that we’re opening things back up, it’s like now we have a little bit of freedom, and they just ruined it all,” said Combs. “It’s just sad that people actually got hit and shot.”
Police confirmed one of the victims has died, and the other six continue to recover.
The victim who did not survive the shooting has since been identified as Quinton Valbrun.
Friday’s shooting is the first of two mass shootings that have taken place in South Florida this weekend. Police said three people wielding assault rifles and handguns opened fire at a banquet hall in North Miami-Dade, just after midnight on Sunday, leaving two people dead and sending at least 20 others to the hospital.
Sunday morning, Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo addressed the Wynwood shooting on “Face the Nation.”
“It’s just an indication of the problem we have with the scourge of gun violence in this country, that we need to much more on a federal level to stop,” he said.
Sunday afternoon, cameras showed a building riddled with at least 20 bullet holes.
Investigators have not provided a description of the gunman in the Wynwood shooting but said they are searching for a silver Nissan Maxima that may have been involved in the incident.
If you have any information on this shooting, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $30,000 reward being offered with the assistance of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
