At least 14 victims in deadly Christmas week shootings across South Florida
MIAMI - A string of shootings across South Florida over the Christmas holiday week left at least 14 gunshot victims, including four in Homestead, three in Miramar and five in Fort Lauderdale. At least four people died from their injuries.
Early Thursday, a 14-year-old was shot during a teen gathering at a club in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Police said the teen is expected to survive. Two other teenagers were also injured in a separate shooting Thursday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale. Late Thursday night, a man was located in Northwest Miami-Dade suffering from at least one gunshot wound to one of his legs.
Early Friday morning, another man was shot and killed during a dispute at a Mobil gas station in Cutler Bay.
"That's shocking. That's not even normal for a non-Christmas Day," said Michele Van Tilborg, a local resident.
Kathleen Cannon, president and CEO of United Way of Broward County, said her organization's "Choose Peace, Stop Violence" program focuses on early violence prevention through school-based initiatives.
"We teach kids anti-bullying, self-esteem, acceptance and really focus on anti-violence and bullying from an academic and socioemotional perspective," Cannon said.
Cannon added that her program's preventive strategies could be applicable to the most recent shooting of a teen in Fort Lauderdale. United Way also offers activities for children during school breaks to help reduce the risk of violence.
"We do something called Alternative Spring Break, where we bring kids together to do good deeds. Keeping kids occupied and engaged is key to keeping them safe when they're out of school," she explained.
United Way also provides grief counseling for communities impacted by violence.
Police have not said if any arrests have been made in the shootings. In Fort Lauderdale, authorities do not believe the incidents are connected at this time.
