MIAMI — What was supposed to be a nice Christmas Day brunch turned into gunfire when Miami police say a mother shot her son outside a popular Overtown restaurant.
It happened around 3 p.m. at Red Rooster, located at 920 NW Second Ave.
Investigators identified the suspect as Roseita Lavette Smith, 50, of Fort Lauderdale.
Officers responded to the shooting call and found a man lying on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his left thigh.
Miami Fire Rescue provided aid before transporting the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
According to investigators, the victim later told detectives that he had arrived at the restaurant earlier in the afternoon with Smith for brunch.
While inside, police said Smith became upset, accusing her son of acting “disrespectful” toward her and other family members, according to the report.
The argument continued outside in the restaurant’s parking lot, where police said both entered Smith’s vehicle and the dispute escalated.
They said the victim exited the vehicle, followed by Smith, who then fired a single shot, striking him in the thigh.
The report states that Smith fled the scene but was later located and taken into custody by the Miami Police Department’s Domestic Violence Felony Apprehension Team.
In her statement to police, Smith claimed she acted in self-defense, saying her son threatened to assault her after he refused to leave her vehicle. She told detectives that she feared for her safety based on his past behavior.
The victim later identified Smith as the shooter in a statement at the hospital.
Jail records show she is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
