MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Two people were killed early Wednesday morning in a shootout in Miami Gardens, police confirmed.
According to Miami Gardens police, the shooting was reported at 2:37 a.m. outside the Cru lounge/hookah bar in the 200 block of Northwest 214th Street.
“I wake up -- next thing I hear, ‘bang,’” Sebastian Gonzalez, who lives nearby, said. “At first, I was like, ‘that’s weird,’ and then it kept happening followed by screaming. I was like, ‘Yep, I don’t think that’s fireworks anymore.’”
Police said officers arrived at the scene and found two people suffering from gunshot wounds.
Detectives discovered that a physical altercation began inside a business and then spilled out into the parking lot.
Police said both parties pulled out guns and exchanged fire.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel pronounced one person dead at the scene. Another person died at a hospital, authorities confirmed.
A witness told Local 10 News reporter Trent Kelly that the initial fight started when a man was seen beating up a woman inside the lounge.
At some point, things moved outside where they say another person tried to step in and stop the beating by pulling out a gun and opening fire.
The witness said the man who was seen beating the woman was one of the people who were killed in the shootout, along with a possible friend of his.
Investigators spent hours at the scene Wednesday morning, interviewing witnesses and towing away nearly a half-dozen cars.
The medical examiner also arrived before taking away the body of the man who died in the parking lot.
Police said one person was taken into custody for questioning and another remains at large.
It’s unclear whether the person who was detained will face charges.
“The message to the community is clear,” Miami Gardens police Sgt. Emmanuel Jeanty said. “If you see something, say something. That’s exactly what happened today -- a fight started, authorities were notified, and we responded immediately.”