'These Are Kids!': Frustrated Mother After Daughter Shot During Fight
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A South Florida mother is angry and frustrated after her daughter, and two other teens, were wounded in a shooting at their Brownsville apartment complex.
The shooting happened at an apartment complex located off NW 24th Avenue and 50th Street at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Lawrencia Barrett, 15, who is a 10th grader at Miami Edison Sr. H.S., was shot in the lower stomach. Jason Gardner, 14, was shot in the right leg. Alexander Stalling, 18, was shot in the right hand. They were all transported to the Ryder Trauma Center.
A spokeswoman for Jackson Memorial Hospital told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that Gardner and Stalling were treated and released. Barrett's mother is with her at JMH.
"I'm tired. I'm tired. This doesn't make any sense. This is not grown folks we are talking about. These are kids. These are babies. As long as my daughter is okay, I'm okay. I am very grateful. I am grateful that she is alive," said Barret's mother Frances Robinson.
Detectives said the shooting stemmed from a verbal fight that escalated into a physical altercation that took place at the apartment complex involving two males either in their late teens or early 20s.
Robinson said her daughter was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"The say hopefully she's going to be good. She's okay and I keep asking her, 'Do she know who did it?' and she say she don't know. She heard the shots and she just took off running," said Robinson.
News of the shooting infuriated Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. He took to Twitter to express his frustration and outrage.
Envelope of youth safety must go beyond schools. The culture of disrespect & violence that resulted in tonight's shooting is unacceptable.
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) March 10, 2017
Three teens lucky to be alive tonight following another senseless shooting in our community. #incensed at the lack of respect for human life.
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) March 10, 2017
Robinson had something to say, not to those responsible, but to their parents.
"I'm asking you, as parents, please, if you know who did it, things like this, please stop them," she said. "Be parents to your kids. Know who they are bringing home. Today, it's me. Tomorrow, it could be you."
Police are still looking for the two shooters.