Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak On Woman Shot At Jewelry Store: 'She Is Well, Conscious'
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - City of Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak addressed the media on Friday afternoon at a previously scheduled event to talk about the tree lighting ceremony to take place on Friday night, but also talked about Thursday's shooting.
Chief Hudak said the event would go on as planned.
"This annual event is for children and their families. They are going to welcome in Santa Claus," Hudak said.
"We just wanted to talk to some of our residents, as well as, our visitors in light of the events from yesterday both in Coral Gables and in Broward County."
"Our security plan has been in place and has been enhanced, but I wanted to reiterate how safe this event has been and will continue to be."
WATCH: City of Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak addressed the media on Friday afternoon
"The Coral Gables Police Department does not take any chances whatsoever."
He was asked if there were plans to cancel the event.
Hudak responded, "We are not going to let the actions of some violent individuals change what we do for our children."
He said the woman who was shot at the jewelry store at Regent Jewelers on the Miracle Mile is "well, conscious and had surgery last night."
Police identified her as 67-year-old Liliana Sardi of Key Biscayne.
The chief confirmed the shooting at the store was between the store owner and the suspects, but then he said the FBI would have all the details.
"What happened last night was a tragedy. I am sure all cops in the country feels bad about what happened to those innocent people."
Hudak also mentioned that Coral Gables police started the initial investigation, but that the FBI has taken the lead in the investigation.
Four people were killed Thursday afternoon when a carjacked UPS truck led several police agencies through South Florida streets.
It ended when two suspects inside the UPS truck exchanged gunfire with police, resulting in their deaths.
The chase started in Coral Gables and ended in Miramar.
One man who worked nearby, but didn't want to be identified, described the chaos as police screamed and people began fleeing their cars in the intersection.
"Get down, get down, then it was like boom, boom, boom, more than 50 shots and people just started running from their cars," he said.
The dead include the kidnapped UPS driver, who has been identified by friends as Frank Ordonez, and Richard Cutshaw, an innocent bystander killed in his car.