NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida tenant came under the gun after, a witness said, two armed men broke into his home, shot him and stole his car, early Sunday morning.
Frightened residents in the victim’s North Miami Beach neighborhood woke up Sunday to the sound of gunfire.
“I’m pretty much just in shock that this happened so close to home,” said area resident Andrew Wiesel.
As of Monday afternoon, the victim is expected to be OK.
Peter O’Shaughnessy, who rents out the home along Northeast 182nd Street to another family, told 7News he was behind the home when the duo made their way inside. At some point, he said, bullets flew, and a man was shot.
“It was a semi-automatic, so it’s just one shot, but a few come out behind it,” he said.
O’Shaughnessy said that once he heard the shots, he ran toward the house hoping to catch the gunmen.
“One guy went through the window, and one guy went through that door and jumped outside to run,” he said. “When I saw one guy run outside, that’s when I ran outside and I chased him, and he jumped in a car, and that’s when he took off and drove off that way.”
O’Shaughnessy said the men then took off in a black Mercedes-Benz owned by the victims and that the car was found several miles away along Northwest 117th Street — up in flames.
Authorities have not confirmed the witness’ account.
The injured man was taken to the hospital and is doing OK. He has since been released.
O’Shaughnessy said the gunmen left his property riddled with bullet holes. “There’s bullet holes in the cabinets, the floor, the AC, the stove, the windows, the door,” said O’Shaughnessy. “It shot the ceiling. It’s got a lot of work to be done inside.”
With the subjects on the run and police searching for them, neighbors are hoping they don’t strike again.
“What happened now, it’s just, what do I do with my family? What do we do today?” said Wiesel. “What do we do in the future? Do we stay in this area? Do we want to move? We don’t know.”
If you have any information on this home invasion, 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.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.