MIAMI (WSVN) - Police are investigating after, they said, a dispute outside of a hotel in Miami ended in gunfire, sending a man to the hospital.
City of Miami Police responded to the scene just off North Bayshore Drive in front of the Marriott Hotel, at around 4 a.m., Thursday.
“Almost like a semi-automatic weapon being fired,” said Luis Perna, who heard the gunshots.
“I thought like a firework or something like that,” said Abdul Salds. “I wasn’t expecting it was going to be like a shooting, but it was like nine to 10 [shots] at different times.”
“Shortly after 3:30 this morning, a large group of individuals was coming out of the marina area. It’s still unclear if they were on a boat, or if they were just at the marina area,” said City of Miami Police Cmdr. Freddie Cruz. “Some sort of argument ensued, and shots were fired.”
7News cameras captured evidence markers on the street where several shell casings were found.
Cruz said a victim was not found at the scene but a man with gunshot wounds was dropped off at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
“You have one individual right now in critical but stable condition at the hospital. It’s a young man in his 20s,” he said. “We have a female who was physically beaten.”
“Extremely surprising, yeah,” said Josh Adams, a hotel guest at the Marriott. “I didn’t expect this, like, I’m trying to go to sleep, you know? I just worked all night. I want to go to sleep now, and I can’t even go to my hotel room.”
Crime scene tape was put up at a second scene, the Trinity Cathedral, located just across the street from the hotel.
7News cameras captured a bullet hole left in one of the church’s stained glass windows.
“I hate when violence happens,” said Adams. “I just don’t want no one to get hurt.”
“It was a little concerning, just like, wow, you know?” said Perna. “Definitely you’ve got to be careful.”
“We don’t know if all these individuals were together, if indeed it might have been a robbery. We’re not exactly sure,” said Cruz. “We did open up Bayshore as of right now, but we’re reviewing cameras, talking to several witnesses that heard these gunshots. Something very uncommon for this area, very quiet area.”
When asked if he believes the incident had anything to do with visitors in the area, Cruz replied, “Everything is possible at this point. We don’t know if they’re local. We don’t know if they’re visiting from somewhere else. Again, if anybody has any information, anybody heard anything and wants to come forward, please, all the assistance would be great.”
If you have any information on this shooting or the gunman’s whereabouts, 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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