NBC 6’s Jamie Guirola speaks to the relatives of the victims shot near the MLK Memorial Park in NW Dade.
Eight people were injured after a shooting near Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park in northwest Miami-Dade Monday, police said.
The shooting happened on Northwest 62nd Street and 32nd Avenue around 3:40 p.m.
Miami-Dade Police said the shooting victims range from ages 11 to 30 years old, five of them are juveniles. Officials released the identities of the shooting victims. Jerome Battle, 20, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after he was shot in the leg. His family said he underwent two surgeries.
Five other victims were in stable condition: Michael Clarke, 30, Shawnteri Wilson, 18, Alfanesha Times, 17, Nakya-Senat Butler, 15 and Lajada Benson, 14. Two other girls, 13-year-old Keionna Green and 11-year-old Ciara Johnson were grazed by a bullet. They were treated on scene.
NBC 6 spoke with a family member of one of the teen victims injured. She said when shots were fired, people started running in a panic. One of the victim's mother also described the sheer terror. "He was running and had the gun in back of him shooting. He let out three shots."
@MiamiDadePD shameful closing to the MLK Parade. Certainly not what the followers of Dr. King Jr. want out of our community. — Juan Perez (@JPerezinMia) January 16, 2017
The mother of one of victims condemned the shooting. "How many innocent kids getting shot for nothing," said the mother.
Police confirmed two people were being questioned. Officers also said two guns were recovered.
The Pan-African & Caribbean Family Festival was happening at the park Monday to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Chopper 6 footage showed a police perimeter in the area as Miami-Dade officers searched for possible suspects shortly after the shooting. Officers were seen entering a home, which appeared to be abandoned, near 31st Avenue.
