A Miami Gardens father fired gunshots through his son's front door during an argument, injuring his son and the son's girlfriend with shattered glass, and remains at large.
A Miami Gardens man fired several gunshots through the glass front door of his son's home on Northwest 154th Street after an argument escalated Thursday evening. The gunfire and flying glass injured the son and his girlfriend, both of whom were taken to a hospital and are listed in stable condition. The father fled the scene in a car before officers arrived, and Miami Gardens Police say he remains at large as of Friday afternoon.
A Miami Gardens man fired several gunshots through the front glass door of his son's home Thursday evening after an argument between the two turned violent, injuring his son and the son's girlfriend and setting off a search for the father that was still underway Friday afternoon.
Miami Gardens Police responded to the 1800 block of Northwest 154th Street, across the street from Rainbow Park Elementary School, just before 6 p.m. Investigators said the father had come to visit his son at the home when the two got into an argument. At some point the confrontation escalated, and police said the father pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds toward the front of the house.
The bullets shattered the glass front door. Flying glass injured both the son and his girlfriend, who were inside or near the entrance at the time, according to investigators. Both were taken to a nearby hospital and are listed in stable condition.
After the shooting, the father got into a car and drove off before officers arrived, police said. He had not been located as of Friday afternoon, and investigators said they have identified a person of interest but have not released his name or a physical description.
Neighbors on the block described hearing a rapid burst of gunfire. Karen Mike, who lives nearby, said her daughter was walking out the door on her way to school when the shots rang out. "My daughter was going out of the house, going to school, and when she opened up the door, we just hear, 'pa pa pa pa pa,'" Mike said. She said she went outside afterward to make sure her daughter made it to her car safely, and that she didn't see anyone running from the scene before officers began arriving in force.
Another neighbor said she heard at least four shots and initially couldn't tell if the sound was gunfire or fireworks. Residents in the area said that happens often enough that a burst of pops doesn't always trigger an immediate call to police.
Officers taped off the block for several hours Thursday night as crime scene technicians processed the property. Photographers on scene captured the home's entrance later boarded up with cardboard where the glass door had been shattered. A sign advertising "24 Hour Surveillance" was posted on the fence outside the house, and a security camera was visible mounted above the front door, though it was not immediately clear whether that footage had been recovered or reviewed by investigators.
Some neighbors told reporters that police had already been called to the same address over the weekend before Thursday's shooting, though the nature of that earlier visit was not detailed by authorities.
Miami Gardens Police have not released the father's name, and the investigation remains open. The department is asking anyone with information about the shooting or the whereabouts of the gunman to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. Police have given no timeline for an arrest, and the boarded-up front door remains the only visible change at the house as of Friday afternoon.
