9 shot at public park’s basketball court in West Little River
9 shot at public park’s basketball court in West Little River
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Five teenagers were among the nine people shot at a public park in West Little River Monday afternoon.
The group was playing basketball when the gunman leaned out the window, aimed a semi-automatic weapon in their direction and hit 16-year-old Trugon Bryson in the head. He then sprayed bullets indiscriminately at the crowd, as people started running.
Five of the people shot did not wait for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and took off to the hospital themselves. Paramedics took Bryson and three others to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Bryson remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday.
The other victims were David Johnson, Garrett Johnson, 16, Kendricks Williams, 16, Berek Latson, 17, Tavarus Mitchel, 19, Alex Yanes, 20, Malcolm McCray, 21, and Dairyus Brookins, 21, who has been getting arrested for marijuana possession since he turned 18.
The West Little River neighborhood — east of Hialeah, north of Liberty City and west of Miami Shores — has been plagued with a youth gang problem for decades, according to several Department of Justice programs.
This isn’t the first drive-by shooting injuring children at a West Little River public park. In a 2011 gang-related shooting, four men drove by and shot at a crowd of kids. Teenage boys were practicing football and girls were participating in cheerleader workouts. A 3-year-old and three teens ages 11, 13 and 16 were shot and survived.
On Monday, park employees were expecting a bigger crowd this week. Miami-Dade public schools are on break from Monday until January 2nd. The public park was open at 9 a.m. and it closed before 5 p.m., as police blocked off several blocks of Northwest 17th Avenue.
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