SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman has died a day after, police said, she was shot by a man who injured a second victim before he turned the gun on himself inside a Southwest Miami-Dade home.
Miami-Dade Police on Saturday identified the woman as Maria Cruz de la Cruz.
The victim was a schoolteacher listed on Doral Academy’s website as a math teacher for the K-8 charter school. According to a GoFundMe page, she was a mother of two.
Investigators said Cruz de la Cruz and two men were found suffering from gunshot wounds inside a home along the 9900 block of Southwest 165th Terrace in the Palmetto Estates neighborhood, Friday afternoon.
Detectives said the man with the self-inflicted gunshot wound shot himself in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Paramedics rushed the other two victims in critical condition to Jackson South Medical Center, where Cruz de la Cruz succumbed to her injuries.
Police said there was another woman at the scene who was not injured. Cameras showed her and another woman speaking with officers as they were brought back and forth from the home to investigative units.
Part of the neighborhood remained blocked off on Friday as officers were seen going in and out of the residence.
Detectives said the firearm was recovered.
The quiet neighborhood was left shaken, and now Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers has turned to the public, posting a flyer online and asking anyone with information to come forward.
Detectives have not specified how Cruz de la Cruz and the others involved are related.
Saturday night, the principal of Doral Academy told 7News this is a difficult time for their community.
Police have not given an update on the surviving victim’s condition, as they continue to investigate.
Doral Academy Just Arts and Management organized a GoFundMe page for Cruz de la Cruz. Speaking of the victim, it reads, “A beloved teacher who showed unwavering love and dedication to our students for nearly a decade. Let us come together for her two daughters as they navigate this extremely difficult time.”
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 reward of up to $5,000.
Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.