Social media video of man firing gun from window of moving car on Palmetto Expressway spurs FHP probe
MIAMI -- The Florida Highway Patrol on Friday was investigating a video shared on social media that showed a passenger in a car repeatedly firing a handgun while the vehicle was traveling on the Palmetto Expressway.
The video was originally posted on Instagram but was taken down from the social media site sometime Friday afternoon after it had garnered thousands of video views.
No known injuries have been reported from the incident, although it was not clear when the shooting and gun play actually took place.
A law enforcement expert told CBS 4 that the man seen firing the weapon from the passenger seat of the vehicle could potentially face felony charges in connection with the incident.
The graphic video shows the man laughing and pointing the gun out the window before firing several rounds during an incident that lasted for several seconds and captured on several video clips.
Several of the people who saw the video reacted with crying and laughing emojis.
The post circulated quickly on social media before it was seen by law enforcement authorities.
The Florida Highway Patrol in a written statement said: "The video has been forwarded to our Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence. This is now an active investigation."
The video post shared on Instagram stories appeared to show the people involved out partying.
Miami Police Union President Tommy Reyes is not part of FHP's investigation but he provided some insight into the charges potentially awaiting those in the video.
"Ultimately, the actions they think are inconsequential are very consequential to some innocent bystanders," he said. "Firing a weapon from a moving vehicle is a felony, so, potentially, these people are looking at felony charges."
Like some other agencies, the Miami Police Department utilizes a technology called shot spotter to locate areas where a gun was fired quickly.
"Notifies us almost immediately, within seconds anytime a gun is fired, in any of the places it covers, we have officers respond immediately," Reyes said. "And often either apprehend the offenders or find a victim and can perform life-saving first aid."
FHP did not say if it uses similar technology to monitor highways in South Florida. In this case, the viral social media post tipped authorities off.
It's a "great tool for law enforcement to gain evidence and try to put away bad guys," Reyes said. "Find out who they are, take them into custody, and get them off the streets."
