The Broward Sheriff's Office has identified the gunman that was involved in a shootout with deputies after fatally shooting his coworker in Pompano Beach late Wednesday night.
BSO officials said deputies responded to reports of a shooting near the 3200 block of West Copans Road shortly before 11:30 p.m.
While deputies were arriving to the scene, they were told that a man had been shot and that the shooter was possibly still in the area, officials said.
As deputies arrived, they found the armed suspect, 59-year-old Rafael A. Molina, fired at the deputies, officials said.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
The deputies returned fire, killing Molina at the scene.
Detectives later learned Molina had shot and killed his 42-year-old coworker Warren Chambers prior to the shootout.
Both men were employees at Broward County Mass Transit and worked at a one of the county's maintenance centers, officials said. Molina had been a mechanic since May 20, 2007 and Chambers had been hired on Christmas Eve 2018.
"We are deeply saddened by the horrific loss of our beloved family member. He was a devoted father, son, grandchild, nephew, brother, cousin, friend and so much more to so many. To know him, was a gift. To be loved and cared for by him was a blessing," Chambers' family said in a statement Thursday. "As we attempt to deal with the shock and unbearable grief of this incident, we ask for privacy to mourn."
BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright said it's believed the first shooting happened around the end of the workers' shift.
"After the shooting, they learned that this armed individual had gotten into some type of, I don't know if it was an argument or a dispute, but he actually shot and killed one of his coworkers prior to the deputies making contact with him," Coleman-Wright said.
Cell phone video from the time of the incident captured the gunshots exchanged between the gunman and deputies.
A witness that worked inside the facility told NBC6 in Spanish that it was terrifying inside the building at the time of the shooting.
"I’m shocked, I would have never thought something like this would have happened here," Alejandro Peniro said.
BSO crime scene, homicide and internal affairs detectives are on scene investigating the murder that happened before the deputy-involved shooting.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the fatal deputy-involved shooting, which is standard practice.
Per BSO policy, the three deputies involved were placed on administrative assignment as the investigation continues.
In a statement Thursday, Broward County officials said employee assistance teams were sent to be with employees affected by the shooting.
"This is a tragic loss of life. Our Broward County family grieves the loss of these two transit employees. Let us keep their memories in our thoughts and prayers as we process this terrible loss," Broward Mayor Nan Rich said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Check back with NBC6 for updates.
