A survivor of the horrific nightclub massacre in Miami Beach talked about what happened that night and the difficult path to recovery.
Isabella Urena was excited for a girls’ night out at Gala Nightclub in Miami Beach, their favorite place to dance and have fun, on May 7, 2023, but that night would be special.
“I didn’t hear anything initially. It wasn’t until I was on the floor I was hearing it more,” Urena stated.
Isabella knocked to the ground, thinking she heard firecrackers. Rather, it was the noise of gunfire. She was shot four times, although she was unaware of it.
“I looked at (my friend) and I said, ‘I think I just got shot,'” Urena stated.
Urena only found out later that her friend Alexa had also been shot when her body was in shock. They got separated in the midst of the noise, turmoil, and terror.
Isabella found assistance in the midst of the chaos and waited for an ambulance. She held onto a paramedic’s hand, not knowing what to do next.
“I was crying to him, ‘I don’t want to die,'” she said. “He kept reassuring me, ‘You’re not going to die.’ I’m grateful for him…I actually got to talk to him after the fact, and it was really nice.”
Urena was in the ICU for eight days. She suffered significant injuries, including broken bones, and one bullet remained in her spine, a mere centimeter away from immobilizing her. She still needs to have another surgery.
The police describe the shooting as a part of a targeted assault.
It was discovered by investigators that the intended target was rapper and Chris Brown talent scout Lowell Grissom. Isabella and her pals were caught in the crossfire as he was shot and died.
Read Also: Man Accused of Raking in $10M in Royalties Through AI-Generated Songs and Bots
U.S. Marshals apprehended Deshawn Davis, who was allegedly connected to the nightclub shooting, earlier this month following a year-long manhunt. Because of his claimed involvement, Davis had been added to several lists of Most Wanted Fugitives.
“I didn’t die, but a piece of me did. We were just 21-year-old girls, and our lives were forever changed.” Urena stated.
As they have navigated their shared ordeal, Isabella and Alexa have remained close despite the physical and mental scars. They are still recovering and waiting on justice.
