SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A man was transported to the hospital following a shooting at Tropical Park in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue units were called to the scene at the park along the 7900 block of Southwest 40th Street just before 6 p.m., Friday.
According to police, a man opened fire at an 18-year-old couple sitting inside a white SUV.
“From what the witnesses are telling us, [the shooter] attempted to open the door, and the door was locked, and then that’s when he opened fire several times through the window, striking the passenger in the chest,” Miami-Dade Police spokesperson Alvaro Zabaleta said.
Paramedics transported the victim to Kendall Regional Medical Center’s trauma center in critical but stable condition.
A spokesperson for Santa’s Enchanted Forrest said the shooting occurred on the opposite end of the park, far away from the theme park. The holiday theme park was not evacuated.
“I don’t know how they know who he is, and he could be walking around and looking at us right now,” a witness said.
7Skyforce HD captured paramedics escorting the victim into the hospital, and aerial cameras also captured numerous police cruisers with their lights on at the park.
Surveillance video from a nearby home captured the sound of gunfire.
Police said the bullets did not hit anyone nearby, including the woman sitting next to the victim inside the SUV.
“There’s a neighborhood adjacent to it as well, and when you’re talking about gunfire, you start talking about the risk of, obviously, stray bullets and innocent people getting struck,” Zabaleta said.
The cause of the shooting remains under investigation.
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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