Mom of man involved in deadly fight at Florida City Walmart speaks out: 'He didn't make the right choices'
MIAMI -- The mother of one of the suspects in Wednesday's deadly shooting at a Walmart Store in Florida City said Thursday that she feels terrible about the incident and is disappointed in her son.
"Everyone makes choices on their own every day and he didn't make the right choices," said Revita Brown, the mother of Jimari Hodge, who was one of those arrested. "Jimari wasn't the one who did the shooting but he was in the wrong place at the time."
Brown spoke exclusively to CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench on the same day that Miami-Dade police announced that three people were in custody in connection with the shooting at the store, including the gunman.
Police said two groups of men began fighting at the store, located at 33501 S. Dixie Highway, shortly before 3 p.m. The fight ended in gunfire when one of the men pulled out a gun and opened fire.
Police said that Steve Lestin, 25, has been charged with second-degree murder with a weapon and attempted felony murder with a weapon while Robert Acevedo, 20, and Jimari Hodge, 21, have both been charged with battery.
According to investigators, the suspects got into a fight with the 23-year-old victim identified as Nathaniel Baez. Police said Lestin pulled out a firearm and shot and killed Baez. Lestin confessed to the crime, according to police.
The sound of gunfire sent panicked customers and employees running for safety.
Baez died after being flown to a local hospital for treatment while a 72-year-old innocent bystander suffered a gunshot wound to the foot. Another woman was hurt when she struck her head while trying to run from the scene.
Officials said five others were treated and released at the scene.
Brown said she had a bad feeling about the incident when she heard about it.
"Basically when I heard what was going on yesterday, I was just clocking in at work and the first thing I said was, 'I hope my son is not at Walmart," she said. "I am not saying I knew. I was hoping he was not at Walmart."
Brown said she always tried her best to steer her son towards the right path in life.
"For the family out there, I feel bad about what happened," Brown said. "I feel really bad. My condolences go out to anyone who was hurt. I just feel so bad. I didn't know this was going to happen at all. I didn't think anything like this would happen at all."
The woman said she planned to have have a conversation with her son when he returns home.
"Yes, I am going to talk to him and I am going to tell him (that) we talked about this," she said. "What has happened in the past and what can happen in the future."
Cell phone video showed some chaotic moments inside the Walmart store, including scenes of bystanders applying chest compressions to the gunshot victim and others standing around who were visibly in shock after the incident.
"Everybody started running," one witness aid. "Then I heard people saying get out of the store, The next thing you know people are pushing me and I end up out of the store. I mean I thought I was going to die."
"The first shot I heard was boom and I said, 'What is that'" Doreen Fire said. "Then it stopped and then boom, boom, boom, boom."
"I heard five shots," said another witness named Johanni. "Then he went running and fell in the floor in the salon."
"As I soon as I heard four bangs like screaming and a stampede of people someone actually . . . I just took her and ran," Ana Lucia, another witness, said.
Police say they are no longer looking for anyone else. All suspects have been arrested.
Walmart issued the following statement:
We are saddened by what happened in our Florida City store Wednesday, and our thoughts are with the victim's loved ones. One associate has been suspended. We'll continue working closely with local law enforcement through the course of their investigation.