MIAMI — The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has released cellphone video that captured the moment when shots rang out during a youth boxing match last year in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood.
After surviving six gun shots, Coach Mario Rodriguez is back in the gym, training young boxers.
He told Local 10 Wednesday that he had been at home, focusing on physical therapy when calls from his students pulled him back.
“It feels good,” he said. “You know, I was at home, you know, going to my therapy, but the kids kept calling me. They said they needed me here, so I got out of bed.”
The shooting happened inside the gym in August. Miami police arrested and charged Boyise Denmark, a parent who police said became aggressive during a sparring match between kids.
Officers said Denmark pulled out a gun and repeatedly fired at Rodriguez inside the gym.
One of Rodriguez’s students, Anthony Fuentes, saw the incident.
“I’m glad that he’s back,” said Anthony Fuentes. “It’s not easy what he’s doing, but he’s doing it because he loves it. He knows that he’d rather be here than anywhere else.”
For the past three months, Rodriguez has been balancing physical therapy with coaching.
Because of his injuries, he has limited movement in his hands, making it difficult to demonstrate drills or physically work with fighters. Instead, he relies on Fuentes to help carry out daily training.
“I can’t do a lot of physical stuff,” Rodriguez said. “You have to make it work every day. And he hopped on board and he’s been here with me carrying the load.”
Fuentes said Rodriguez remains the driving force behind the gym.
“He’s the brains, obviously,” Fuentes said. “He’s the mastermind behind everything. Correcting, teaching. I’m just helping with wrapping the hands. I’m on top of the kids and I’m putting the gloves on.”
Rodriguez said the support from the community has helped him through his recovery.
“I’ve been getting a lot of support, a lot of love from the kids and the parents,” he said. “I’m just glad to be here.”
Rodriguez also thanked those who donated to a GoFundMe campaign created to help cover his medical expenses. He said the focus now is preparing his fighters for the Golden Gloves competition later this year.
The parent accused in the shooting is currently on house arrest and is expected to face a judge later this month.
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