While the holiday season is supposed to bring joy, this year it’s bringing a litany of shootings across Miami-Dade County.
According to Rev. Walter Richardson, chair of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board, there have been 21 shootings in Miami alone in recent days.
“This sudden peak in violence in Miami is really causing a lot of alarm,” Richardson said.
Miami Gardens Police said there have been four separate shootings in just two days. The most recent shooting happened overnight on the 4100 block of 181st Terrace. Police said 3 people were shot, including a 13-year-old girl, while a 24-year-old man also died on the scene.
Richardson said community members have to take a stand against these shootings as many did to denounce the police-involved deaths in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City.
“We need to see the same kind of outrage from people that are killing each other,” Richardson said. “Black people are killing black people and that’s outrageous.”
Last Saturday night, three shootings happened in Miami Gardens in the span of just two hours. Ynderia Jacques told NBC 6 her 16-year-old brother was one of the victims. Jacques was injured after someone in a truck drove by and fired several rounds.
“We’re killing each other and it has to stop,” said Miami Gardens resident Angela Cylis.
Miami Gardens’ community leaders said they are calling a state of emergency meeting to discuss the rash of recent shootings. No meeting has been planned for Miami.
“Hopefully, we can have communication dialogue between those of us that are on the right side of the law and perhaps get an inroad to people who are on the wrong side of the law, to find out what’s really causing this,” Richardson said.
The Mayor of Miami Gardens, Oliver Gilbert, issued a statement to NBC 6 about the recent increase in shootings. It read in part:
"The events of recent days are tragic and serve as a reminder that we must be steadfast and vigilant in our efforts to reduce crime, specifically violent crime. However, this is not just a Miami Gardens problem. Violent crime has plagued South Florida this year in a significant way. I am not sure what other jurisdictions have done to combat this problem, but the efforts to reduce violent crime in Miami Gardens have been consistent and ongoing...Even so, we will never be complacent or content with a reduction in crime; our goal is to continue to utilize effective policing strategies to eliminate crime in our City altogether."
Source: NBC 6
