Exclusive: Gibson Park Shooting Victim "Devastated" After Melee
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A 38-year-old mother of four and school bus driver who was the victim of a gunman's shooting spree Friday night at Gibson Park says she is "devastated" and is grateful that she survived.
"I am in a lot of pain and I hope they catch who did it," said Tranise Harris in an exclusive interview with CBS4's Peter D'Oench
"I am devastated. I could have been killed," she told D'Oench. "When the shooting happened I was worried my kids, my family, my life."
Harris was one of three people wounded when a gunman opened fire after an argument at the park.
More than 300 people were there when the shooting happened around 9 p.m. as youngsters who were 11 and 12 years old were playing football. Two other people were shot in the leg and the thigh.
Harris, who is also a grandmother, was at the park to watch her nephew play.
"These were kids playing in optimist clubs and that's the sad part. He could have killed innocent people. I just thank God that did not happen. And now I hope he comes forward. I hope police will catch him. These were kids that were playing football."
"Now I am worried about the fact that I can't go back to work right now as a school bus driver and that will hurt me in trying to support my kids," she said.
Harris spoke to CBS4 as Miami Police Detectives passed out flyers in Overtown not far from the park at Northwest 4th Street and Northwest 12th Ave.
The flyers showed a photograph of a man who police say is wanted for three counts of attempted murder: 20-year-old Jamar Anton Jordan, who is also known as Jamal Jordan.
They describe him as 6 feet tall and 140 pounds. They say he may have recently cut off his dreadlocks.
He has some distinctive tattoos: two tear drops under his right eye and the letters M & M under his left eye. He also has gold teeth and was known to frequent the area of Northwest 3rd Ave. and 22nd Street. He's considered armed and dangerous.
Noonie Jenkins told D'Oench that she grabbed the gunman and put her arms around him to keep him from firing bullets right next to the stroller of her 5-month-old daughter.
It didn't stop the gunman and he fled.
"He was shooting the gun around my baby and I went under his gun," she said. "I bear hugged him so he would not go on shooting but he kept on shooting. I would do anything as a mother to protect my kid. The sky is the limit."
As detectives passed out flyers, Overtown residents said they hoped that police would catch their suspect.
"That's my park and that can't happen," said Elaine Key.
The Rev. Willie Williams, who owns a barber shop in Overtown, said, "This person must be found. This must be stopped. He has to be taken off the street."
Cheallen King, who was in the park at the time of the shooting, said "I can't believe the lack of conscience for this person to go into the park at the time when children were around and start shooting. He has to be found."
Police say it's not clear what prompted the shooting or if it was tied to any recent so-called "turf wars" between some gang members. This shooting erupted after an argument.
The shooting prompted an emergency meeting late Thursday afternoon of the Alliance Against Violence, which is comprised of community members, activists and city officials.
Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones was one of the key officials pushing for the meeting at CharlesHadleyPark that also involved representatives from the Optimist Club.
If you can help Miami Police, call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
