Miami Gardens residents reel from gun violence that officials say is gang-related
MIAMI - Residents in a Miami Gardens neighborhood remain stunned by Saturday night's dramatic driveway shootout.
The whole thing was caught on a home surveillance video near the intersection of NW 33rd Avenue and 202nd Terrace.
The homeowner with the viral video footage didn't wish to speak on camera. He told us he wasn't home at the time of the shooting and added that he was overwhelmed, as were other neighbors.
"This is not too far from my house," shared a neighbor who goes by Alexis.
We caught up with her as she showed the dramatic shootout to a friend.
"Not a bad neighborhood," she told the friend. "But, of course, bad people exist everywhere."
In the home surveillance video, we see a man in a white shirt ducking while appearing to hold a firearm and shooting back in an apparent exchange of gunfire. Two days later, we still see very visible bullet holes in houses, walls, cars, doors, and shattered glass from the shootout.
Alexis had a similar frightful encounter in Miami Gardens outside her home last May.
"When I looked at my camera, it looked like a young man in front of my door, yelling, getting shot at," said Alexis.
CBS News Miami reporter Joe Gorchow replied, "I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been."
"It was very terrifying," added Alexis. "And to this day, I have no idea what happened."
We reached out to Miami Gardens Police about what happened outside Alexis' home a year ago and the dramatic driveway shooting over the weekend. They did not respond to those inquiries but did comment after what they described as a "gang-related" shooting in Miami Gardens less than two weeks ago.
Home surveillance recorded a similar shooting on Northwest 196th Street near 42nd Ave. We saw a blast of gunfire as a car drove by before crashing into a fence, and three men got out.
"It's the normal," shared a Miami Gardens resident who goes by the name, Pooh. "And what's scarier is that bullets have no eyes. You know it's not the first time… and I'm just tired of it. You know we enjoy our evening walks or whatever and can't do it. We don't feel safe."
"I keep my kids inside the house," added Alexis. "I don't let them go wander outside. That's one thing I don't do."
Gorchow asks, "Why is that?"
"Because of things like that," responded Alexis.
Some neighbors we spoke to called the shootings unusual. A few told me they hope Miami Gardens police can increase patrols and community engagement.
Again, we have tried to contact the police department, but we are still waiting to hear back.
