Shooting Outside a Florida Club One of a String of Shootings, Possible Rivalry the Cause
Early Sunday morning there was a shooting at El Mula Banquet Hall, a club in Florida. This banquet hall and billiards club had been rented out for a concert Saturday night. According to Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez III, three people got out of a white Nissan Pathfinder and started shooting into the crowd, killing two and leaving 20-25 injured. Out of those shot, five of the victims were sent to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. Two of these victims are in critical condition according to hospital spokesperson Kerting Baldwin.
"These are cold-blooded murderers that shot indiscriminately into a crowd and we will seek justice," Ramirez tweeted. "My deepest condolences to the family of the victims."
The perpetrators waited for about 40 minutes in the car before going into the club. They left the car doors open, shot at the crowd outside, and came back to the car and drove off seconds later. Assault rifles and handguns were used according to police. The car was found submerged in a nearby canal on Monday. It had been reported stolen on May 15. Police say they are not sure of the motive but think it has to do with a rivalry between two groups. Several of the people outside were armed and returned fire.
TV personality and Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis tweeted on Sunday that he is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting.
Ramirez thanked Lemonis for his offer and says that people can report any information they have anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers. "We need our county to step up with information," Ramirez said. "This type of gun violence has to stop. Every weekend, it's the same thing. This is targeted. This is definitely not random."
Ramirez tweeted on Sunday that the Miami division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) has added $25,000 to Lemonis’ reward, bringing the total to $125,000.
Another shooting took place in Miami on Friday as well. At least one person died and six were wounded in that incident.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent out a tweet on Sunday offering his condolences to the victims of Sunday’s attack, saying, "We mourn the loss of the two victims and are praying for the recovery of the more than 20 people injured at El Mula Banquet Hall near Hialeah. We are working with local authorities to bring justice to the perpetrators."
Miami-Dade police director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III said that the shooting at the banquet hall was a "cowardly act of gun violence" and vowed to seek out justice against "these cold-blooded murderers."
On Monday afternoon, there was a drive-by shooting outside a North Miami home. Video shows a person getting out of the backseat of a car, firing a gun multiple times, then getting back in the car, and the car speeds away. One person is in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest. Another person is in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the leg. This is at least the sixth instance of gun violence since Thursday.
Ramirez was giving a briefing on Monday about the Sunday shooting and was interrupted by Clayton Dillard, the father of one of the victims who was killed, who was crying, demanding answers, and saying “someone killed my kid” as he was escorted away by police officers.
After the father had been escorted away, Ramirez said, "That's the pain that you see. Together, all of us, we must work harder to bring justice to these families."
Regarding the shootings happening in Miami, County Commissioner Keon Hardemon said, "We have to be clear about what's happening in Miami-Dade County. These are acts of domestic terrorism."
