A jewelry store heist that preceded a pursuit and a deadly shootout has shaken the community of Coral Gables.
Regents Jewelers on Miracle Mile became a crime scene Thursday after a woman working behind the counter was confronted by a pair of armed robbers.
Authorities said the store's owner took out a gun to defend the place. Within that minute and a half before police officers responded to the scene, the suspects exchanged gunfire with the proprietor.
The woman was somehow injured during the chaos. She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she was being treated for a head injury.
Investigators were working at the Coral Gables scene into late Thursday night. Bullet casings scattered inside and behind the store, where the suspects escaped before they hijacked a UPS truck and led a cross-county pursuit.
A bullet even hit a window at the nearby City Hall, prompting a lockdown.
Those who live and work in the area -- which is a popular shopping destination with high-end shops and restaurants -- were shocked by what happened that afternoon as the city prepares for the holiday season.
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"That's the craziest thing we've seen here," said Christian Garcia, who works at a restaurant nearby Regents Jewelers. âYou see little petty stuff sometimes, but not any shootouts or anything. That's crazy."
The pursuit ended at a busy intersection about 20 miles away in Miramar. Two people, including a UPS driver on the job and a bystander sitting in traffic, were killed while caught in the crossfire between robbery suspects and police. The suspects also died in the shootout.
