MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The search for a shooter continues Tuesday after eight people were shot Monday at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in northwest Miami-Dade.
During an afternoon news conference, Miami-Dade police director Juan Perez announced a $21,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Perez said he was angered by the shooting, because the community should have been talking about the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rather than of the chaos that erupted during the celebration from those who decided to open fire on the crowd.
"Let's go back in time. Let's go back to the early 60s and before then, when a great man that walked this earth had a dream and he talked about that dream," Perez said. "He had a vision, he inspired. We should all be inspired by him. That's why we celebrate that day."
Those who got caught in the middle of the gunfire are between the ages of 11 and 30, some of whom are still recovering from their injuries.
Miami-Dade police said those shot were Shawnteri Wilson, 18; Gerome Battle, 20; Michael Clarke, 30; Lajada Benson, 14; Nakya-Senat Butler, 15; and Alfanesha Times, 17.
Two other girls, Keionna Green, 13, and Ciara Johnson, 11, were grazed by bullets. They were treated at the scene and released to their parents.
Relatives told Local 10 News that Battle, who remains hospitalized, was enjoying the holiday celebration at the park with his family when gunshots rang out.
"We was at the park and in the middle of the crowd, and they started fighting, and then everything broke out, so it was hectic," Battle's sister, Ambresha Battle said.
The 20-year-old college nursing student was shot in his back. The bullet went through to his stomach.
"He grabbed me and he was like, 'My stomach, my stomach,' so by the time he did that, I didn't know what happened," Ambresha Battle said.
Local 10 News also spoke to one of the young victims, Wilson, on Tuesday.
"It was crazy. Gunshots (were) coming from everywhere," she said.
Wilson was shot in the back of the knee and was unable to run. She said she laid on the ground and prayed as a bullet flew over her.
"They were still shooting while I was on the ground," she said.
Police said two people were detained and two guns were recovered, but no arrests have been made.
While police continue to investigate, families, like the Battles, are visiting their loved ones in the hospital, trying to figure out how a day meant to remember such an honorable man could turn into this.
"He can't really talk too much. (I) just gave him a hug (and he) opened his eyes (to) let me know he's going to be alright," Gerome Battle's father said.
Police said the two men who were detained were arrested on un-related weapons charges.
One man, Alexander Brito-Peralta, 28, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, police said.
According to an arrest report, officers who responded to the shooting saw a black 9 mm handgun concealed in Brito-Peralta's waistband. Police said he refused to speak with detectives.
Tavarius Flowers, 29, was also arrested on charges of carrying a concealed firearm and child abuse without great bodily harm.
Police said Flowers matched a description of a suspect given by a witness and when questioned, Flowers said that he dropped his gun under the playground while searching for his child.
Detectives said Flowers said he was at the park with his three sons when he heard the gunshots. He said he grabbed two of his sons and put them under the playground with his gun while he went to find his third son, an arrest report said.
Police found the semi-automatic gun in the playground area.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.