MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Doctors removed a bullet out of the hip of 16-year-old Joe'eara Riley on Saturday. Her dad, Joseph Riley, was at Kendall Regional Medical Center hoping for the best.
Riley said his daughter is in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at Miami Killian Senior High School, where she is an 11th grade student. She has dreams of joining the U.S. Air Force and getting a college education.
Riley gave Joe'eara permission to celebrate her friend's Sweet 16 birthday party at the Halley Banquet Hall, 18901 Southwest 106 Ave., in South Miami Heights, near Cutler Bay. He never expected the celebration to turn into a crime scene.
"As a parent that's like the worst phone call you want to receive," Riley said. "It's heart-breaking, all this violence that is going on with these kids."
When there was a fight, Joe'eara was crossing the street and was on her way home. There were gunshots and she fell down. Antwon Glenn said he saw her laying on the ground bleeding.
Darris Robinson, 26, a family friend who was at the hospital with Riley, said bullets were whizzing by his head, while he was trying to protect her.
Glenn and Robison stayed with Joe'eara until Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue showed up. They saw her flyaway in a Miami-Dade County helicopter.
Glenn said on Facebook that the lack of focus on education among teens who were more worried about guns was heart breaking. The Florida State University freshmen, who is on spring break, heard several gunshots, while everyone was running for their lives.
Miami-Dade County Police Department detectives were trying to figure out who the perpetrators of the early Saturday morning violence were. They interviewed dozens of teenagers at the party and crime scene technicians spent hours collecting evidence.
"No one knows who has done it, or nothing," Riley said. He was grateful Joe'eara was alive and was expected to recover.