Two men got into a fight and eventually a gun battle with a Miami-Dade store manager and his wife Tuesday after the manager fired one of his employees, police said.
Miami-Dade Police said the incident took place at the Family Dollar, located in the 1700 block of Northwest 69th Terrace.
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Police later identified 20-year-old Brianna Love as the employee and 29-year-old Jametrius Burkes as another suspect.
According to police, the manager fired Love for being rude to customers. Love later returned to the store with two other men, including Burkes, who approached the manager and started attacking him, police said.
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"This is ridiculous," said Leslie Taylor, who said her granddaughter is married to the manager. "You can imagine… when I got that phone call, I just was crazy."
At some point during the altercation, Burkes and the other man pointed firearms at the manager's head as the manager attempted to "fight for his life," police said in arrest reports.
Police said the manager's wife witnessed the altercation and attempted to intervene, but the unidentified man fired his weapon at her. The woman, also in fear of her life, retrieved her own firearm and shot back, police said.
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The unidentified man ran off, and Love followed. Burkes remained at the scene, still fighting with the manager — so the manager's wife attempted to hit him with her car but struck her husband instead, police said.
Burkes eventually ran off when the manager disarmed him.
Burkes spoke to NBC 6 before he was taken into custody. He said the manager "came at" him and threatened him.
"Once the shots went off, I took off running ... I don't know what to do if someone going to shoot me," Burkes said at the time. "I don't want to die in front of Family Dollar where I'm trying to talk to someone about rights."
Taylor said her granddaughter tried to protect her husband.
"They both got registered guns, and when the shootout ensued and she thought her husband was gonna be injured," Taylor said.
There we no reported injuries.
Love was later taken into custody. She told detectives that they went to the store to buy food and not confront her former manager, but police said CCTV footage showed Burkes and the other man approach the manager and had "clear and deliberate intent to pursue a confrontation" with him.
Love was released from jail Wednesday after a judge did not find probable cause for her charges. She was ordered to stay away from the store and the victims and could still be charged.
Burkes is being held on no bond and faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, battery, and carrying a concealed firearm.
"We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement," a Family Dollar spokesperson said in a statement, adding that they would not provide further comment due to the active investigation.
Police are still searching for the third person involved in the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
Editor's note (Wednesday, March 23) - This story has been updated with details on the investigation and arrests.
