NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A teen is recovering in the hospital after she was shot at a Northwest Miami-Dade apartment complex, and now her mother is pleading with the public for help.
Fifteen-year-old Shanetta Gilbert continues to recover at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Monday night, after she was shot while sitting in a vehicle with two other 15-year-olds.
Her mother, Laverne Mike, said Gilbert was rushed into surgery to remove a bullet from her stomach. “She’s only 15 years old,” Mike said. “I’m just asking, if you know anything, just come forward.”
According to Miami-Dade Police, Gilbert, who is a ninth-grader at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, was shot after gunshots rang out at an apartment complex near the area of Northwest 50th Street and 24th Avenue shortly after midnight, Monday.
The bullets also struck a second car with two 22-year-olds inside. They were driving eastbound on Northwest 50th Street. Police said the driver, Jonathon Bryant, lost control of the vehicle once bullets struck the car and crashed into a fence. The passenger, Shermaine Arnold, was struck in the forehead with glass debris.
Bryant’s grandmother, Janie Houston, said he was likely driving her car and smashed into that fence in an attempt to avoid the bullets. “I’m glad he wasn’t hurt,” she said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported both Gilbert and Arnold to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center. As of Monday afternoon, both victims were listed in stable condition.
Mike said the bullet exited her daughter’s body through the stomach but knows her daughter was not the intended target. “The bullets wasn’t for them,” she said.
Monday evening, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho called for an end to the violence during a town hall meeting at the victim’s high school.
As Gilbert recovers, Mike is asking the public to help put an end to the violence. “I didn’t think it would come so close to home,” she said. “We always say that it can’t be my child, but it’s my child this time, and I just want everyone to know that we just need to stop the gun violence and just put the guns down.”
The victim’s classmates at Northwestern High School said the shooting is concerning. “I was very shocked,” said student Shanare Harris. “It really got me thinking about, wow, we really gotta be more careful out here in this world.”
Detectives continued to look through clues and knocked on doors Monday evening as they searcher for tips on who committed this shooting.
If you have any information on this shooting, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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