NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — Gunfire tore through a neighborhood near Fort Lauderdale overnight, sending a teen to the hospital and triggering a search for the person or people responsible, authorities said.
7News cameras captured a large law enforcement presence near Northwest 29th Terrace and Seventh Street in the Washington Park area, located in unincorporated central Broward County, early Wednesday morning.
Crime scene tape cordoned off a large portion of the street, which was filled with Broward Sheriff’s Office vehicles.
Investigators said deputies located the 17-year-old victim suffering from gunshot wounds shortly before 2:30 a.m.
Area resident Chris Pittman said one of his children awoke him in the middle of the night.
“I was sleeping. All of a sudden, my 4-year-old was like, ‘Daddy, fireworks,’ and I just heard, ‘pow, pow, pow,’ and my 2-year-old started crying,” he said.
A woman who asked not to be identified or show her face on camera said the gunfire erupted very close to her home.
“I did hear the gunshots over here, so it was about four, so I thought it was real close, so I dive down in the floor. That’s how close it felt like it was,” she said. “Yeah, so, other than that, I didn’t hear anything else.”
Another resident said the sound of gunshots was terrible.
“Several shots. I heard the bullets go through my backyard and then shortly after the shots, I heard the sounds of cars speeding off,” said the resident.
Paramedics with Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue transported the victim to an area hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Detectives have not specified the victim’s gender.
Back at the scene, investigators appeared to focus on an SUV with all four doors open. They went inside the vehicle with flashlights.
The perimeter also encompassed Northwest Sixth Street, where cameras captured shell casings and evidence markers on the ground.
“So I waited a little bit, and I tried to get out and see what was going on, but everything was taped off, so I just came back,” said Pittman.
Ten BSO deputies were seen standing outside of a house nearby, and as the sun came up, investigators were seen placing evidence in bags and using metal detectors up and down the street.
A white sedan has a bullet hole just below the rear passenger side window. Speaking with 7News off camera, the car’s owner said he’s upset by the damage his vehicle sustained.
It was a scary morning for residents of this neighborhood, including Antoine Perry, who usually walks to work early in the mornings.
“Some told me don’t go, some told me to take the car. I normally walk every night to work, I just hope everybody is alright,” he said.
Perry said he chose to trust his instincts, as detectives continue to search for whoever was responsible.
“I normally walk down this way going to work, like at Walmart. So it’s like I – you know, I kind of figured like, I kind of – it;s so dark down here. It’s just – I just have a bad feeling that night,” he said.
Detectives have not provided additional details about this incident, including information about a possible subject or subjects, as they continue to investigate.
If you have any information on this shooting or the whereabouts of the subject or subjects responsible, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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