Two people died and seven were injured following a shooting incident at a popular shopping mall in Florida. According to Miami-Dade police, a fight broke out at the Martini Bar situated in the CityPlace Doral during the early hours of Saturday. The altercation led to the death of a security guard who intervened, shot by the gunman. Subsequently, the assailant was also killed in a gunfight with law enforcement, as stated by Alvaro Zabaleta, a Miami-Dade detective.
Six bystanders, comprising five men and one woman, sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire, along with a police officer who was shot in the leg, Zabaleta reported during a press briefing.
Zabaleta further noted, “Officers that were working at the commercial establishment at the time immediately responded, and there was an exchange of gunfire.”
“Unfortunately, the security guard lost his life while he was performing his duties, and of course, our heart goes out to that family.”
The injured police officer, who applied his own tourniquet according to CBS News, has been discharged from the hospital. Police officers were already on patrol in the area as part of a late-night security detail, said the police.
Residents expressed shock at the violent incident. "I thought it was fireworks," said William Suedois, a nearby resident, speaking to WPLG. “Then I heard probably 10 or 15 directly after that – very, very fast and very loud. It was very scary – very scary,” he added. “And my apartment is pretty close to all the music – it was very loud. I felt it in my chest.”
"There were cops all over," recounted Rob Abner, a ride-share driver, to NBC6. "I’m here a lot, so it is kind of concerning. It touches you personally."
The report also mentioned that this shooting occurred a year after Doral police conducted an active shooter drill and mass casualty training to prepare their officers for such situations.
