Gunman wanted in hate crime killed in shootout with police

Gay man believes his attacker was fugitive killed in Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. ā€“ A fugitive was killed by police after he used an assault rifle to open fire at officers Thursday night near Miami International Airport, authorities said.

FBI Special Agent Brian Waterman said the fugitive was armed with a rifle and exchanged gunfire with officers from the Miami-Dade and Miami police departments.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was not immediately made available.

"He was involved in a hate crime investigation," Waterman said, declining to provide specifics.

Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said the suspect fled from officers and a police pursuit ensued, during which time shots were fired.

A high-powered rifle was recovered at the scene.

Waterman said no law enforcement officers were injured in the shootout.

Dozens of police lights could be seen outside the nearby DoubleTree by Hilton when residents from a neighboring apartment building heardĀ dozen of shots fired. One woman's video recording shot from a balcony indicated the shooting involvedĀ several weapons and lasted for about a minute.

As a Miami-Dade police helicopter flew over,Ā FBI agents and officers with the Miami-Dade and Miami police departments focused on a white Jeep at the intersection of Northwest Seventh Street and Northwest 72nd Avenue.Ā 

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the police-involved shooting.Ā 

Gay man's attack

Authorities were searching for Alexander Carballido, who was released from prison in July and was set to remain on probation until 2023.

Earlier Thursday, federal, state and local authorities wereĀ searching for Alexander Carballido, a 40-year-old convicted felonĀ who was on probation when he was accused of using a firearm to commit a crime.Ā 

TheĀ 36-year-old victim, who is openly gay,Ā provided detectives and Local 10 News with surveillance video showing an "angry and crazy"Ā attacker heĀ identified as Carballido.Ā 

The victim, who said he drives for Uber and works as a security guard, said CarballidoĀ probably spotted him at theĀ XXX storeĀ on LeJeune Road by the airportĀ "because a lot of gay men go there."Ā He said he was there Monday.

He said CarballidoĀ likely got his phone number fromĀ a fellow Uber driver. The victim gave CarballidoĀ his address and invited him insideĀ his home Wednesday in Allapattah.

The victim said once he was inside his home, CarballidoĀ forced him to take off his clothes, pointed a gun at him and said, "All gay men should be dead." The victim said he continued to insultĀ him, and as he got dressed, Carballido pistol-whipped him and took $500 in cash and thousandsĀ in jewelry.Ā 

Florida Department of Corrections records show Carballido was released from prison July 1, after serving time for kidnappings, aggravated battery, carjacking with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and aggravated assault on a police officer.Ā 

Authorities didn't confirm if the hunt for Carballido was related to the fatal shooting. But the manĀ who identified him as his attacker was with police officers in Doral during the shooting when a detective told him, "You can go home in peace. It's all over."Ā 


About the Authors:

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School,Ā Homestead Senior HighĀ School and graduated from St. Thomas University.

Janine Stanwood joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor. She is now a general assignment reporter. Before moving to South Florida from her Washington home, Janine was the senior legislative correspondent for a United States senator on Capitol Hill.