MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A quiet night was shattered by the rapid staccato of gunfire that police say created a “war zone” Wednesday in a Miami Gardens neighborhood, News 6 partner WPLG-TV reported.
The shootout happened just after midnight near the 4200 block of 196th Street.
Miami Gardens resident Luis Rivera found himself huddled with his family as bullets tore through their home.
“There were flashes all over the place. I could see through the curtains,” Rivera said.
For Rivera, the terror was amplified by the presence of his adopted daughter, who is battling cancer at just 6 years old.
“I was scared, shaking and nervous because this hasn’t happened before,” the brave girl told WPLG-TV.
Surveillance video shows the shooters appearing to wait for a silver Nissan to pass by. As soon as it did, chaos erupted.
Shortly after, additional video showed the Nissan crashing through a neighbor’s fence.
Three people inside escaped while one person was seen attempting to hop Rivera’s fence just moments before Rivera called police.
Rivera said the bullets pierced anything in their path but, thankfully, no injuries were reported.
A neighbor, speaking off-camera, told WPLG-TV that his pickup truck was riddled with at least 10 bullet holes, rendering it immobile.
He said one bullet even found its way through his front window, embedding itself in his couch.
Police are now trying to determine who the shooters were and why were they in the neighborhood at the time.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Miami Gardens Police Department at 305-474-6473 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.