2 people dead and over 20 injured in shooting outside Florida concert
Two people died and over 20 people were injured in a shooting outside a concert in South Florida, police said. The gunfire erupted early Sunday at the El Mula Banquet Hall in northwest Miami-Dade County, near Hialeah, police told news outlets.
The banquet hall had been rented out for a concert. Three people, armed with assault rifles and handguns, got out of an SUV and opened fire on the crowd outside, police director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez III said. Authorities believe the shooting was targeted.
"These are cold blooded murderers that shot indiscriminately into a crowd and we will seek justice," Ramirez tweeted.
I am at the scene of another targeted and cowardly act of gun violence, where over 20 victims were shot and 2 have sadly died. These are cold blooded murderers that shot indiscriminately into a crowd and we will seek justice. My deepest condolences to the family of the victims.
— Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez III (@MDPD_Director) May 30, 2021
Two people died at the scene, police said. Over 20 people went to various hospitals for treatment.
No arrests were immediately announced.
"This is a despicable act of gun violence, a cowardly act," Ramirez told reporters, according to CBS Miami. "… This type of gun violence has to stop."
Chad Harris was among the stunned parents who learned of the incident. His 19-year-old daughter was one of those wounded.
"My daughter ended up getting shot in the middle of this," Harris said. "Words cannot express how I feel right now. It's a sad moment."
For police, this shooting is a worrying reminder that the nation is returning to normal from the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that violence like this will return, too.
On CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo warned of a violent summer and urged lawmakers to act.
"We need the federal government, and both sides to address this issue because without legislation, without certainty as it relates to holding these criminals accountable, or we're never going to get through the summer," he said.
Even before Sunday's shooting, local leaders have been proposing a $10 million plan to stem gun violence, which would include jobs for underserved young people and more surveillance cameras in high crime neighborhoods. One philanthropist is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects in this latest shooting.
Manuel Borjorquez contributed to this report.