1 killed, another wounded in Miami Beach shooting as spring break crowds scatter
Published in News & Features
MIAMI — Two people were shot Friday night, one fatally, as a relatively calm and peaceful spring break in Miami Beach was rattled by gunfire for a second straight year.
Miami Beach Police said two men were shot near Seventh Street and Ocean Drive in an “isolated incident” at about 10:41 p.m. Both were taken to Ryder Trauma Center, where one died. The other victim was listed in critical condition Friday night but has been released from the hospital, police said Saturday morning.
Four guns were recovered and one man was detained at the scene, Miami Beach Police said, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether the person detained was the shooter. Police said the person is “cooperating fully with the investigation.”
Miami Beach police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez said Saturday morning that the identities of the people involved could not be released while an investigation is ongoing. Police also did not immediately share details of what may have led to the shooting.
Miami Beach Police, which already had a heavy presence in the area, swarmed toward the sound of gunshots as pedestrians crowding sidewalks and the street on Ocean Drive scrambled to safety.
Hundreds of people sprinted away from the area after hearing the gunfire. The road, which was closed to cars between Fifth and 13th streets Friday, was jam-packed with visitors.
Videos circulating on social media showed chaos at a sidewalk cafe as a series of gunshots rang out and someone lay wounded in the street just steps away. Subsequent footage showed first responders administering CPR on a victim.
Police cordoned off several blocks with crime scene tape after the shooting, as people continued to mill about further north.
The incident followed two other moments of panic and confusion earlier in the night.
Around 10 p.m., large crowds that were gathered on Ocean Drive near Eighth Street bolted away from the street twice in a matter of minutes.
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