The latest Miami nightclub shooting erupted early Sunday, leaving 15 people injured, with the youngest victim only 11 years old. Authorities said that when they arrived around 1 a.m. on Sunday, chaos ensued as young patrons rushed to escape the violence from the Miami nightclub shooting.
According to USA Today, the Miami nightclub shooting on Sunday took place at "The Spot", a nightclub which opened about a month ago in a shopping strip mall next to a smoke shop.
CBS Miami reports that paramedics treated patients on the sidewalk and street after they found the injured.
According to the Associated Press in Miami, Miami fire rescue captain Ignatius Carroll said many of those inside and outside the club were too hurt to flee the scene of the Miami nightclub shooting.
One male was even found unresponsive and not breathing as emergency responders arrived. Carroll said there were five girls between the ages of 11 and 17 who suffered gunshot wounds.
Carroll also told the Associated Press the first emergency crews arriving on the scene were told to use caution as "there was still active shooting taking place in the area".
Carroll added that apart from the running, "people were screaming....saying they were shot" during the Miami nightclub shooting. Others were yelling for help for friends who had been shot as well.
Spokeswoman Frederica Burden of the Miami police said that those hurt from the Miami nightclub shooting ranged from 11 to 25 years old. She added that one of the victims had been hospitalized and is now in critical condition.
According to the AP in Miami, in the hours after the chaos, details were hard sparse and hard to come by. Investigators are still working on piecing together what exactly happened yesterday.
According to CBS Miami, a man named Prentice who heard the gunfire from the Miami nightclub shooting said, "All the sudden I heard about 15 to 20 shots then again another 15 to 10, another 20 then like about 30."
He added that his estimate of the gunshots he heard amounted to 100 on Sunday morning. Other witnesses also told CBS4 in Miami they heard at least four different guns during the Miami nightclub shooting.
Eventually, rescue workers arrived and ambulances arrived one after another at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
By morning, evidence markers set up by investigators can be found surrounding the club.
Burden said of the investigation on the Miami nightclub shooting, "The investigators are still interviewing witnesses. They're going from hospital to hospital" to find out what party was going on at the club during the violence. Burden also noted that the victims had been cooperative as investigators did their work.
However, she added that it is still early on in the investigation; therefore it could take a while before suspects of the Miami nightclub shooting are found. She said, "It's very early in the investigation detectives are out there, they're questioning everybody."
She also noted that it was not immediately clear how many shooters were involved or what started the incident.
By Sunday afternoon, there had been no arrests and there were also no suspects publicly identified.
Burden told USA TODAY. "We have no motive. We don't know if it was one or several shooters, or how many shots were fired. It is baffling."
Burden said other victims left in the hospital are already in good condition, while others have already been released. However, exactly how many were still unknown.
According to USA Today, those hospitalized due to the Miami nightclub shooting appeared to be around 13 people. She added only 7 of those sent who were in the hospital were brought there by fire and rescue personnel, while the rest were taken by friends and family. She said it made the count more difficult to confirm.
Meanwhile, what's more surprising than the Miami nightclub shooting is the fact that many young people were at the site at the wee hours of the morning.
Capt. Carroll said at least three of the wounded from were transferred to a pediatric unit.
Carroll stated, "What was very surprising to the responders was that these were kids that were out at 1 o'clock in the morning in a club and this type of violence took place where a bunch of kids were gathering ... it's very disturbing to see that."
CBS Miami reported that on Sunday afternoon, police said one teenager was in critical condition.
Spokeswoman Burden cited, "That was a concern of ours as well the age that was involved. What we're thinking at this point is it may have been a private party."
During their investigation into the Miami nightclub shooting, authorities were reportedly angered when they interviewed people familiar with the club. They found out that minors were allowed inside. Many were not old enough to drink alcohol.
Meanwhile, CBS Miami reports that investigators are seeking to interview the club owner to determine what type of club "The Spot" is and why there were so many underage children when the Miami nightclub shooting occurred.
Burden asked, "Was it a private party? Was it open to the public? That's what we're trying to figure out."
As of the current moment, people present at the party but were not injured are encouraged to contact police.
The Miami nightclub shooting is indeed a baffling case. As of now, police efforts are thwarted as a phone number for the club was out of service. Anyone who has information on the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS, according to CBS Miami.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
