In a shocking incident that unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, a security guard and a gunman were killed, and seven others, including a police officer, were injured in a shooting at a nightclub in Doral, Florida. The incident occurred at the Martini Bar, a popular establishment located in CityPlace Doral, a bustling shopping mall just five miles west of Miami.
The deadly altercation began among patrons at the nightclub around 3:30 a.m., according to Alicia Neal, a spokesperson for the Doral Police Department. The security guard, who was on duty at the time, intervened in the dispute but was fatally shot by the gunman.
Doral police officers, who were already present at the commercial establishment, responded to the scene and engaged in a gunfight with the suspect. "Officers that were working at the commercial establishment at the time immediately responded, and there was an exchange of gunfire,” Miami-Dade Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said during a news conference. The gunman was killed during the exchange.
The injured officer, a four-year veteran of the force, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his lower extremity. He applied his tourniquet immediately after being struck, according to Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez. The officer was transported to JMH Ryder Trauma Center and is listed in stable condition.
Six bystanders, five men and one woman, were also caught in the crossfire. Two of them were transported to local trauma centers in critical condition, while the remaining four are reported to be in stable condition.
The incident has left the local community in shock. William Suedois, a resident of a nearby apartment building, told WPLG, “I thought it was fireworks. Then I heard probably 10 or 15 directly after that – very, very fast and very loud. It was very scary – very scary.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are assisting in the ongoing investigation. This incident comes exactly one year after Doral police officers participated in an extensive active shooter drill at the same establishment.
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