1 person killed, others injured in shooting inside Florida City Walmart
Multiple suspects were being sought after a shooting inside a Walmart in Florida City Wednesday afternoon left one person dead and another injured, and caused panic that left multiple people hurt as they ran from the gunfire, officials said.
Miami-Dade Police confirmed two people were shot at the Walmart at 33501 S. Dixie Highway just before 3 p.m. One person died from their injuries while the other person was expected to survive, police said.
Cellphone video showed people trying to assist one victim who was laying on the store's floor moments after the shooting.
Witnesses said they heard as many as six gunshots before people in the store started running.
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"I heard six shots, pow-pow-pow, and then everybody was running away," one man who was in the store said.
Police said the incident started with an altercation between two groups with three people on each side. During the altercation, one person pulled out a gun and opened fire.
One person who was involved in the altercation was shot and later died. The second person hit by the gunfire was an innocent bystander who was struck by a stray bullet, police said.
Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said two young children were inside the store and were among several customers and workers who were near where the gunfire happened.
"This store was open, it happened in the front part of the store where there's a lot of customers," Zabaleta said. "It's unfortunate that a customer who was not involved in this incident was struck, this could have been much more tragic."
Zabaleta said officers arrived and took one of the six people involved in the altercation into custody. He said four others involved fled the scene.
Footage from the scene showed a massive police presence, with multiple officers with guns drawn surrounding the store. The footage also showed a man in handcuffs being placed in the back of a Florida City Police car.
NBC6 Police respond to a shooting at a Walmart in Florida City on July 19, 2023.
Several Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews and vehicles were also seen outside the store. Zabaleta said five people who suffered minor cuts and scrapes while running from the gunfire were treated outside the store and released.
A woman who suffered a head injury while running away also showed up at a local hospital for treatment, Zabaleta said.
Officials haven't released the identities of anyone involved.
Zabaleta said police are still investigating the shooting and searching for the other four suspects involved in the altercation and shooting.
"We are deeply saddened by what took place in our Florida City store, and our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones. The store is closed at this time," a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "We will work closely with local law enforcement through the course of their investigation and will refer further questions to police."
Check back with NBC6 for updates.
Source: NBC 6 South Florida
