Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon: “The recent shootings are acts of domestic terrorism”

Miami, Florida – County leaders are taking action and asking for help in finding those responsible, after a bloody weekend in Miami-Dade in which three people were killed and more than 30 others were injured.
“We must get these killers off the streets, we can only do it with your help,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We must break this cycle of violence. There is a cycle, gun violence is an epidemic and the pandemic has intensified it. We must invest in public safety and we must invest in our communities.”
The mayor said they must do both – prevent and seek justice. Levine Cava speaking in front of Miami-Dade police headquarters, said her administration is focused on getting to the root cause of crime and match residents with the services that they need.
Friday night’s shooting in Wynwood, in the area of NW 20 Street and NW 1 Court, left one person dead and six others injured.
Early Sunday morning, a mass shooting outside the outside El Mula Banquet Hall in northwest Miami-Dade banquet hall left two dead and over 20 injured. Three of the injured in critical condition.
Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III said the shootings do not represent the county.
“We’re a community built on trust, we care about our children, we care about our families, no matter what part of the community where you are from, we’re all one,” said Ramirez. “I’m very thankful for this community who has been providing information to bring justice to these murderers. These gun violence-driven murderers who are targeting individuals and at the same time hitting innocent people that have nothing to do with their beef, ruining families, harming mothers, that is the pain that affects our community.”
According to Ramirez we must work together and harder to bring justice to the families.
“The Miami-Dade police department will not stop. We will bring justice, our community is united,” he said.
Miami-Dade police Major Jorge Aguiar, said their investigators believe the mass shooting at the El Mula Banquet Hall was likely ‘gang’ related. It happened at an album release party of rapper Spitta — also performing was Foetpack.
“There was a crowd starting to gather in front of the establishment while they were waiting to enter the location. We have investigative information that a white Nissan Pathfinder approached the side of the entrance, three individuals exited the Pathfinder armed, and open fire on the crowd. As a result of that initial shooting, several groups that were in the parking lot also armed themselves and open fire towards the initial shooters. That resulted in multiple people being transported to hospitals in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. A total of 23 people were shot, two were deceased on the scene, and three are critically injured in the hospital. So far, three people have been released, the remainder are hospitalized. We have intelligence information that this resulted from an ongoing rivalry between two different groups, we know that the intended target was most likely in front of the establishment when the shooting took place,” said Aguiar.
Mayor did not say who they believe the intended target was but did say that investigation is ongoing and they’ll go over the extensive forensic evidence.
“This is a community problem. We have to solve this together. We have to find a way to stop this senseless violence before this gets out of control,” said Aguiar.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon called the recent shootings acts of domestic terrorism.
“Anytime a shooter strikes 20 people, most of whom have nothing to do with whatever their issue is, anytime they strike them down and they die in our community, it is meant to keep us from having a regular life in Miami-Dade County. It is to keep us from going out and enjoying ourselves, it is to keep us from being part of the economic system that is, it puts a chill on our communities,” he said.
“If you look at the recent shootings, they happened in areas where people were out to have a good time, it routinely happens in neighborhoods where people are accustomed to gun violence.”
Ramirez said “I’m very thankful for this community providing information to bring justice to those murdered, those gun violence driven murders,”
The reward for information that leads to an arrest was increased by $100,000.