Family members and detectives are still seeking answers in the fatal shooting of a young woman on Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade last year, and are hoping new surveillance video can help identify her killers.
Melissa Gonzalez was shot and killed while driving on the interstate with her boyfriend back on Jan. 3, 2020. The two were on the way to visit a relative in the hospital when she was struck by a stray bullet, and investigators don't believe she was the intended target.
At a news conference with Gonzalez's mother Thursday, Miami-Dade Police detectives said they still don't have a motive in the shooting of the 22-year-old.
“We know people were there that night. I know for a fact at least two people were there. I don’t know why what happened happened. I don’t know why Melissa was shot. It could have very well been an accident. I don’t know but unless somebody calls me, and gives me something I’m never gonna know," Det. Juan Segovia said.
According to Gonzalez's family, she had graduated from Florida International University in the summer of 2018 and had plans of going to law school. Her mother said she was set to take the LSAT a few weeks before she was killed.
At Thursday's news conference, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar acted as the mother's translator.
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"My life is almost over," mother Sheyla Nunez said in Spanish. "The only thing that can help a little bit is to find the person for whatever reason it was that ended my daughter’s life.”
Surveillance footage released by police Thursday shows someone getting into a dark colored 4-door car and then speeding off not far from the scene and around the same time of the shooting.
Police are hoping someone comes forward with new information.
"Have the heart, be a hero. Just drop a line, call, you can email and stay anonymous," Segovia said. "The smallest bit of information that may seem insignificant to someone out there that knows something about this case could be a huge piece to our puzzle that gets everything else going."
The reward for information leading to an arrest in the case is up to $7,000. Anyone with information can call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
