The Miami Beach Police Department is investigating a double shooting that occurred on Ocean Drive near Seventh Street, resulting in one fatality and another person being seriously wounded.
The police responded to a report of gunfire at 10:41 p.m. on Friday, and upon arrival, found two injured men. The victims were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where one of them died, while the other is still in critical condition. At the scene, investigators detained one man and recovered three guns. However, there is no further information about the victims, including their age or whether they were locals or spring breakers.
The cause of the shootout is still under investigation, with officers remaining on the scene to gather information. At the time of the incident, there were hundreds of people present, with one witness telling CBS News that they were at Mango’s, a tropical café, when people rushed inside for cover.
“Everybody was ducking and everybody was in the restaurant … There was a shot. Everybody was scattering, ducking down, running to the sides of the restaurant.”
An eyewitness recounted the chaos, saying, “Everybody was ducking and everybody was in the restaurant … There was a shot. Everybody was scattering, ducking down, running to the sides of the restaurant.”
There were just two scary moments in a matter of minutes on Ocean Drive near 8th Street. Both sent massive crowds scattering. It’s unclear what prompted this – the atmosphere was calm before.
Several people tell me they saw people running and ran. Things have settled down again. pic.twitter.com/ismqz8FkjG
— Aaron Leibowitz (@aaron_leib) March 18, 2023
Miami Beach PD spokesman says these appeared to be “false alarms” and they’re not aware of any injuries.
The panic led to two near-stampede situations, but I didn’t see anyone hurt. Cops are now riding up and down Ocean Drive on ATVs. pic.twitter.com/5kiu9kPx4p
— Aaron Leibowitz (@aaron_leib) March 18, 2023
A college student from New Jersey named Eliana commented on the police response, saying that there was a heavy police presence in the area, but it was not sufficient as they “are not everywhere.”
In an effort to enhance their mobility, the police have increased their use of golf carts and ATVs for surveillance in the area. Onlookers recounted how the officers rapidly “swarmed” the location upon the initial gunshot. However, Miami Beach PD cautioned that there have also been “false alarm” scares that have occurred, which have nearly caused “stampede situations.”
“He just came to the driver’s side and he pointed the gun at my friend and said, ‘Give me everything,'” said one of the victims.
During spring break, two vacationing women were robbed at gunpoint while stopped in a vehicle outside a condominium building in Miami. “He just came to the driver’s side and he pointed the gun at my friend and said, ‘Give me everything,'” said one of the victims. The thief took a purse, money, and a Rolex watch. The woman from Holland also said that the robber knew her name, leading her to believe that they had been targeted. The Miami Beach Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
