Funeral arrangements made for mass shooting victims

Funerals scheduled for Carlos Gavilanes, Italo Pisciotti, Samira Pisciotti

Carlos Gavilanes

HIALEAH, Fla. – Funeral arrangements have been made for three of the six people killed in a mass shooting at a Hialeah apartment complex.

A viewing for 33-year-old Carlos Gavilanes was held at Funeraria Memorial Plan San José, located at 250 E. 4th Avenue in Hialeah, on Tuesday. The funeral Mass will be held at St. John the Apostle Church, 475 E. 4th Avenue in Hialeah, at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The burial will follow at Miami Memorial Park, 6200 SW 77th Avenue in Miami.

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Vista Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home donated the burial for building manager Italo Pisciotti and Samira Pisciotti, his wife. A viewing will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 14200 NW 57th Avenue in Miami Lakes. Their burial service will begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Funeral arrangements were still being made for the other three victims: Patricio Simono, 64, Merly Niebles, 51, and Pricilla Perez, her 17-year-old daughter.

Donations to the families of the victims can be made to: Survivors Pathway, PO Box 138882, Hialeah, FL 33013

Read: Cleaners enter gunman's apartment | Memorials grow for victims | Who was Pedro Vargas?

The shooting

Neighbors said Gavilanes was returning home late Friday with his 9-year-old son when he was shot by Pedro Vargas.

Neighbors described Vargas, 42, as a lonely man who spoke about having pent up anger. According to police, on Friday night, Vargas set a combustible liquid on fire in his apartment, then began shooting.

For eight hours, police followed and exchanged gunfire with Vargas throughout the five-story apartment complex as terrified residents took cover in bathrooms and huddled with relatives, sometimes so close to the gunfire they could feel the shots. In the final hours, Vargas took two people captive in a fifth-story unit. Police attempted to negotiate with him, but the talks fell apart and a SWAT team swarmed in, killing Vargas and rescuing both hostages.

Cleaners entered Vargas' apartment, which he shared with his elderly mother, on Monday.