MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said three people were shot, including a gunman, on Thursday afternoon in the Glenvar Heights neighborhood’s warehouse area.
One of the victims did not survive, she said.
Miami-Dade deputies and fire rescue personnel responded to a report of an active shooter shortly before 1 p.m., at Priced Right Motor, Inc., a used car dealership at 7321 SW 45th St.
11 p.m. report:
After Cordero-Stutz’s initial report, the relatives of the victims at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital said a troubled man -- who had made threats before -- shot and killed his maternal brother, 34-year-old Eduardo Rivero, Jr., the president of Priced Right Motor.
Cordero-Stutz later confirmed the victim was the half-brother of the shooter.
She added that the second victim, 35-year-old Armando Yadro Alea, was in stable condition while the gunman was in critical condition.
According to a source, the shooter was identified as 49-year-old Roberto Leyva.
Deputies said at one point there was an exchange of gunfire, and that a long rifle and a pistol were recovered at the scene.
A witness shared a video showing a man who was bleeding in the back of a pickup truck and later sitting outside with fire rescue personnel who wearing bullet-proof vests.
Related story: What we know about the shooter
Lidia Amoretti-Morgado said she was driving her daughter to IDOL Cheer, a gymnastics center for kids at 7310 SW 45th St., when they heard a loud series of gunshots.
“I froze, we were in the car, in the middle. I had cops in front of me. I had police officers behind me, and I just see them with guns drawn, running past us,” Amoretti-Morgado said.
Children could be seen frantically searching for shelter on a business surveillance video as sirens blared and gunshots rang out in the latest outbreak of violence in what family members say is a long-standing dispute.
“Excuse me do you have anywhere we can go? There’s a shooter over there,” one child is heard asking in patio surveillance footage provided by All About the Wow.
MDSO deployed a helicopter, a drone, and a SWAT team. There were K-9 units on standby. Florida Highway Patrol troopers also responded.
MDFR active call records show fire rescue dispatched 29 units, including a helicopter that landed at the nearby Tropical Park Stadium, at 7900 SW 40th St., in the Olympia Heights neighborhood.
The shooting and the massive law enforcement response that followed frightened parents with their children during Take Your Child to Work Day.
Related story: Mother describes fear during Miami-Dade active shooting on Take Your Child to Work Day: ‘I just ran’
The area is also home to Lawnmowers R US, a store for businesses; Hitting .365, a batting cage center; and All Purpose Training, a members-only gym.
Alec Hyde said he was working nearby when he heard the gunshots and ran into a bathroom to hide with his coworkers who were in fear.
“We didn’t really have any control of the situation,” Hyde said. “We locked the doors and just kind of sat there.”
“It’s a lockdown situation,” said Gil Machado, owner of JR Surfaces. “I get a phone call from a former police officer — he says, ‘You’ve got a live shooter in your neighborhood.’”
For hours, the Glenvar Heights warehouse district remained on lockdown as deputies carrying long rifles moved cautiously between units. At one point, a man was seen being dragged away by law enforcement.
“We were hiding in the shower. SWAT came and busted down the door and got us out,” said Alec Hyed, an employee in the area.
Witnesses said the terror unfolded quickly and felt dangerously close.
“We hear... come outside... police sirens... come for a moment how far down... honestly... how close it was,” one person said.
In another interview, a young girl simply said, “Duck down.”
Related story: Deputies set up reunification center
To help children meet with their parents after the shooting and during the investigation, deputies set up a temporary reunification center at 7391 SW 44 St.
Deputies temporarily closed a neighboring area of Bird Road and Miller Drive near the Palmetto Expressway. It reopened by 4 p.m.
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Managing Editor Alissa Gross and Assignment Desk Editors Mercedes Cevallos and Joyce Ortega contributed to this report.
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