Police: 1 dead, gunman detained after shooting in Sweetwater

SWEETWATER, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are investigating a shooting in Sweetwater that, they said, left a machete-wielding man dead and led them to detain an armed subject.

Sweetwater Police units responded to reports of shots fired along Southwest Seventh Street, near 112th Avenue, Saturday afternoon.

According to investigators, responding officers canvassed the area and found a person suffering from gunshot wounds and another with a gun.

“It happened so quick,” said an area resident.

“My first reaction was, ‘Everyone get inside,'” said neighbor Doris Huiar.

7News cameras captured an active scene after crime scene investigators cordoned off Southwest Seventh Street.

Police said there was an altercation between two men at around 3:30 p.m. One of them had a gun, and the other had a knife.

At one point, officials said, the knife was taken from the man, so he went in a home and came back with a machete.

“At that point, another person that witnessed him with a machete, the person he was initially having an argument with, then pulled out his firearm and shot that person twice,” said Sweetwater Police spokesperson Jonathan Arche.

“We heard two ‘pows,'” said Huiar. “One of the little girls goes, ‘Oh, firecrackers.'”

Miami-Dade Police units also responded to the scene and assisted in the investigation.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews transported the victim to an area hospital in unknown condition, Saturday night. He succumbed to his injuries Sunday morning.

Neighbors said the incident unfolded during what appeared to be a music video shoot.

“I saw a bunch of fancy cars, real nice looking cars, custom cars, and there’s some guys dressed up,” said area resident Roger Avila. “It looked like they were going to do some kind of rap video.”​

According to Strictly Management Team’s Instagram profile, the record label was recording a video in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting.

In their Instagram story, the label issued a statement that reads, “For everyone asking questions, SMT, Strictly Management Team, was not responsible for the shooting at the video shoot today.”

7News cameras captured officers searching a car at the scene.

Police detained the armed subject, and he has been questioned by detectives. No arrests have been made.

Meanwhile, area residents are still trying to process the violent chain of events.

“I’ve been 25 years of living here, and I’ve never witnessed this,” said Avila.

The area of Southwest 112th Avenue and Seventh Street was closed to traffic for hours but has since reopened.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.