MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have detained several people after, they said, someone fired a gun on a busy South Beach street, Saturday evening.
According to Miami Beach Police, a Miami-Dade Schools Police officer heard gunshots near Sixth Street and Collins Avenue, just before 5:45 p.m.
“The officer heard the shots being fired. He immediately gave chase,” said Miami Beach Police Officer Ernesto Rodriguez.
People poured into the Steve Madden store, located at 635 Collins Avenue, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. The manager, Carlos Ruiz, described to the chaotic moments during a phone interview with 7News.
“Fifteen people ran into the store screaming, and out of the 15 people, one of them, one of the guys was shot, was bleeding,” said Ruiz.
Officers quickly saturated the area and shut down Collins Avenue between Fifth and Seventh streets.
7News cameras captured several young men being taken into custody shortly after. Officials believe one of these subjects is the shooter.
“We located who we believe is the shooter, along with several other potential subjects. They’re persons of interest at this point,” said Rodriguez.
Ruiz said the injured man was getting out of a taxi cab when he was shot. “He was in a taxi cab the shots were fired in, and he ran into the store,” he said.
The store manager said the injured man refused medical treatment. “To be honest, I thought that, if we didn’t lock the doors, whoever was shooting was going to run in here and there was going to be a shootout inside of the store,” said Ruiz.
The employee provided a picture showing a handwritten “closed” sign taped to the store’s front entrance.
Police have not confirmed Ruiz’s account of the incident. Officials said they never did find the man they believe was shot.
Area resident Michael DeFilippi said the incident is a most unwelcome disruption to holiday weekend festivities. “It’s just unfortunate, ’cause there’s a lot of good people out here having a great time, and it just takes a couple of bad apples,” he said.
7News sources said the Metropole Hotel, also located at 635 Collins Ave., has given surveillance video to police.
Police said there have been 50 percent fewer arrests at this point than this time last year.
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