Miami Gardens Police chief: Residents ‘should not be in fear’ because overnight shootout was ‘targeted isolated incident’ – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) – Days after a Miami Gardens gunfight lit up a neighborhood overnight, Miami Gardens Police are trying to ease neighbors’ concerns.

Dozens of bullets were fired from automatic weapons, just past midnight Wednesday along Northwest 196th Street.

Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt on Friday told residents that they should not be afraid, as it was a gang-related targeted shooting.

“I would like the public to know that they should not be in fear because, as you can tell, it was a targeted shooting,” said Noel-Pratt.

The chief did not take questions from the media following her statement.

But the exchange of gunfire in the targeted shooting sent bullets flying into homes and vehicles, frightening residents.

“I heard, I don’t know how many, but it sounded like eight to 10,” said neighbor Louis Rivera. “Really loud automatic weapon fire, and I could see the flashes.”

“It was a little scary,” said another resident.

The shooting even led to a car crashing through a fence and into a front yard.

Rivera’s daughter described how she felt as the gunfire erupted. The 6-year-old took cover with her mother.

“I was scared. I was shaking,” said Rivera’s daughter.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt as a result of the gunfire.

“This is something that is very concerning to us. This is our community as a whole,” said Noel-Pratt.

Now residents are looking at safety standards.

“We need to get the guns under control; it’s ridiculous,” said Miami Gardens resident James Williams.

The gunfire hits close to home for Williams, who lost his son to gun violence in Miami Gardens in 2018.

“A gentleman on a bike shot him five times, and he died right there on the scene,” said Williams.

Six years later, Williams said there continues to be a lack of respect for life and the law in Miami Gardens.

“It’s like the wild, wild west out here. People are not safe, even in their home. It’s ridiculous,” said Williams.

But the police chief insists that people in Miami Gardens are safe, and they are working with local and federal partners to find the people involved.

“This is a targeted isolated incident. We are deploying multiple units out in the area, because this is alarming to us, and we want to make sure that we let them know that we are concerned about their safety, and we want to make sure that they remain safe,” said Noel-Pratt.

According to the chief, those who were the targets of the shooting are not cooperating with police. She said that police have seized a vehicle and are waiting for a search warrant.

Police hope that the search of the vehicle will provide more leads in the case.

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