Doral, Florida – Amid a tragic shooting incident in Doral, a city just west of Miami, a security guard lost his life while seven others sustained injuries early Saturday morning.
The violence erupted around 3:30 a.m. following a dispute among patrons at a local establishment, as stated by Doral Police Department spokesperson Alicia Neal. Tragically, a security guard attempting to intervene was fatally shot by the assailant, as confirmed by Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta during a press conference held later that morning.
Law enforcement officers from Doral arrived at the scene, encountering the gunman and engaging in gunfire exchange that resulted in the assailant’s death, as reported by Neal. The shooting took place at the Martini Bar, a nightclub at CityPlace Doral.
In the chaos that ensued, one Doral police officer suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the lower extremity. The injured officer, a member of the force for four years, promptly applied a tourniquet, according to Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez.
Additionally, six bystanders were caught in the crossfire between the gunman and the responding officers, resulting in various gunshot wounds. Some of the victims were in critical condition and had to be transported to nearby trauma centers.
Interestingly, a year prior to the incident, Doral police officers had conducted an active shooter drill at the same establishment where the tragedy unfolded, as revealed by Lopez. Witness accounts, such as that of a nearby resident who mistook the gunshots for fireworks, portray the terrifying ordeal faced by the community during the shooting.
The Miami-Dade Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have joined forces to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, aiming to bring clarity to this heartbreaking event.