MIAMI (WSVN) - A grieving community still reeling from a shooting a City of Miami neighborhood that left an 89-year-old woman dead is asking for answers in the incident, as residents mourn the loss of a beloved figure.
Elizabeth Level, who was known as “Grandma Liz” in the neighborhood, was killed when shots rang out Friday evening, in the area of Northwest 10th Avenue and 52nd Street.
Area residents who spoke with 7News said “Ms. Liz,” as they called her, had a big, loving family, not just by blood but by heart.
Idania Ruano, a friend of the victim’s family, said this affectionate staple of the community opened up her home when Ruano needed it most.
“Grandma Liz is my everything. How could I explain it to you? She had opened up the door for me since the moment I moved to this hood,” she said.
Mourners said Level had a heart of gold and a certain daily routine.
“She would come outside, she would stay out there in front of her porch. It was something that was her routine,” said Ruano.
It was during this routine when, police said, Level was shot.
According to City of Miami Police, the victim was gunned down in a drive-by shooting while sitting out on her porch.
Investigators said she was an innocent bystander who wasn’t even the intended target.
Paramedics rushed Level to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
“What we just need to do is get together, community-wise, to try to find out what exactly happened. How did it happen? Why did it happen?” said Ruano. “What I want is justice for my grandma.”
Level’s family and those who knew her are now heartbroken.
“There’s so many things I’m going to miss about her,” Ruano said as she fought back tears. “There’s so many things I’m going to miss about her, honestly. She was my everything.”
This community wants justice for this great-grandmother who, they said, was killed senselessly.
“She’d take off anything from her back to give it to you. She’s a person that cared about everybody,” said Ruano, “and I don’t even know how to explain the hurt that we have, that she didn’t deserve to go down how she did.”
Detectives said they are doing everything they can to find the person or people responsible, as well as a motive.
If you have any information on this shooting or the subjects’ whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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