Witnesses say 7-year-old girl was shot in back of head during NW Miami-Dade drive by

$10,000 reward offered for information leading to arrests

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – While doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital work to save the life of a 7-year-old girl, a neighbor tells Local 10 that she ran out of her house to help victims after hearing “probably about 15 shots.”

Two young children were among four people injured in Northwest Miami-Dade Saturday night in the 2900 block of NW 51st Street in what Miami-Dade police said was a drive-by shooting.

The other child injured was a 1-year-old boy. At last check, the young girl was in critical condition in the hospital. Witnesses said she appeared to be shot in the back of the head. The boy, witnesses said, was shot in the leg.

"I just heard the shooting and ran outside to help the victims," said the woman who lives in the Brownsville neighborhood where there was a hail of gunfire around 10 p.m.

"How many shots did you hear?" we asked.

"A lot. Probably about 15."

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she did what she could to help the victims until police and paramedics arrived.

"I just seen the victims on the ground and I just ran to help. I just tried to stop the blood," she said.

Airing her outrage, a statement from Miami State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle released on Sunday read: “Last night’s senseless drive-by-shooting in Miami’s Brownsville neighborhood is a sad comment that even as our country and community yearns for progress, justice and safety, there are those whose actions mock the meanings of those words. To leave blood on our streets, particularly the blood of innocent children, should outrage every resident of Miami-Dade County.”

Detectives roped off the area and scoured the neighborhood for clues overnight and remained on the scene Sunday morning. The gunman or gunmen are still on the loose and investigators are still unclear as to what led up to the gunfire.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to arrests. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey M. Edmonson’s office added $5,000 to the reward announced by Crimestoppers.

Rundle asked for the community to help “bring the shooters in. The million eyes of our community’s residents may have been something that could provide an essential identifying clue. Please come forward and say something. You may become and important lifesaver with just a few words,” she said.


About the Authors:

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.