What to Know
- Police officials say a cyclist was shot after an argument between a group of cyclists and a motorcycle rider on the Rickenbacker Causeway.
- Reports say the victim was shot in the stomach after an argument and was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center.
An argument between a motorcyclist and a group of bicyclists on the Rickenbacker Causeway Wednesday morning ended with a shooting that left a cyclist dead.
Miami Police Commander Freddie Cruz said the incident happened around 6 a.m. on the Causeway near Key Biscayne.
Cruz said the motorcyclist was next to the bicycle riders when there was an argument and shots were fired. Cellphone video from the scene shows the encounter on the Causeway, and it appears that several men are fighting when a gunshot is fired.
The cyclist was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition and later died. Fellow cyclists identified him as Alex Palencia.
The motorcyclist, Kadel Piedrahita, was detained for questioning but was released Wednesday night. His attorney, Sabino Jauregui, said Piedrahita got into an argument over an ongoing feud with the victim and that his client acted in self-defense.
Piedrahita was streaming on Facebook Live before and during the shooting. In the video, he rides past a group of cyclists that he appears to know. He then encounters one cyclist, and they all come to a stop.
Jauregui alleges the cyclist rode up to Piedrahita in an aggressive fashion, kicked his motorcycle and yelled profanities at him.
No charges have been filed against the motorcylist, and it's unclear who the gun belonged to. Officials are still investigating the incident.
