On Wednesday afternoon, a ferocious shooting incident took place in Florida City at the Walmart located at 33501 South Dixie Highway. This accident left people in a state of shock with one man dead and the rest injured.
Around 2-3 pm, a shooting started in Walmart that evolved from arguments between three people of different groups. This took serious note when a man subsequently hauled out a gun and fired at the people of other groups and customers at Walmart.
The quiet and peaceful shopping moment turned into a panic situation. Everyone started running here and there which left multiple people with injuries but not that severe, officials said.
He shot a man in the leg though he was not even indulged in the fight and was there just for the purpose of shopping, Zabaleta said. A 23-year-old man, the victim who died is identified as Nathaniel Bridge, while the other who was shot on foot survived. A woman was also injured in her head when the chaos started as she was hit by the wall.
As stated by the Miami Herald, “ A woman not to be named, was in the store at the time of the event though she did not notice any accused said, “I heard the shots, and I ran out”.
Additionally, two 15-year-old friends changed their ways when they entered the store to purchase video games, stating, ‘They started shooting, and we saw the blood and we started running’.
As per Local 10, a witness, Johnnie Pacheco said, “I heard six shots. And then everybody was running away, and this guy came, and he fell down by where they do the nail stuff, and he got shot right there in the chest two times and he was bleeding. I don’t know if he’s dead, but the ambulance took him with the air tanks and everything to the hospital. The other guy got shot in the leg.”
Zabaleta further stated that ‘both the injured were immediately taken to Jackson South Medical Center, where the man indulged in the fight was declared dead while the other survived.
Some of the other people who got minor injuries were treated right there and provided with first aid.
Several Police and rescue units responded to the store instantaneously after the incident. Numerous agencies- Miami-Dade, Homestead, Florida City, and the FBI also noticed at the Walmart.
While the search was conducted at the store, the officials arrested a subject who was engaged in the quarrel.
In the words of Zabaleta to the Miami Herald, “It’s not clear whether he was the shooter, investigators need to review the security camera footage. Moreover, the five other suspects fled from the place after the incident and the investigation for those suspects is still in progress”.
According to 6 South Florida, “Zabaleta said- “It’s so important that anybody who saw something, heard something, no matter how small you think this information is, let us know.”
A statement shared by a Walmart spokesperson on Wednesday read that “We are deeply saddened by what took place in our Florida City store, and our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones. The store is closed at this time. We will work closely with local law enforcement through the course of their investigation and will refer further questions to police.”
