A gunman killed a security guard at a Florida martini bar before dying in a shootout with police after a bar fight that left seven people — including one officer — wounded early Saturday.
A security guard at Martini Bar, located in the CityPlace Doral, sꩲtepped in to stop a fight between customers around 3:30 a.m. when one of the men pulled a gun, police said.
“The security guard that was working int🍬ervened, and th💮at’s when the subject produced a firearm and shot and killed the security guard,” Miami-Dade Police Detective Álvaro Zabaleta said during a news conference,
Two City of Doral cop🌼s immediately responded to the scene and engaged the gunman.
“There w꧃as an exchange of gunfire between t🌌he subject and the officer. The officer shot and killed the subject; however, the officer also sustained a gunshot wound to the lower extremity,” said Zabaleta.
The slain se🌄curity guard was identified as George Castellanos, .
William Suedois, who lives in the CityPlace apartments near the bar, said he ꦆfirst heard about three gunshots ar♎ound 3 a.m. before 10 to 15 additional gunshots rang out.
“My apartment is pretty close to all the music. It was very loud. I felt it in my chest,” Suedois t🤪old Local 10. “I am not going to lie; it was pretty 🐓scary.”
Suedois saw p🐠eople fleeing the popular bar in a panic before police officers swarmed the area.
“I saw a lady on the ground. I wasn’t sure if she was hit, if she was hurt,ജ if she was scared — it was crazy,” 💙Suedois said.
Six bystanders, five men and one woman, were injured in the shooting, according to co꧒ps.
They were taken to the hospital, where two are in critical condition and four are in stab🌞le condition.
The injured police officer was a four-year veteran who applied a tourniquet to himseꦚlf, Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez said, adding that it was too early to tell w⭕ho was shot by whom.
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The injured officer is expe🐟cted to make a full reco🌞very, police added.
“We are grateful that he is alive and in stable condition, and we look forward tܫo completing🦹 this investigation,” said Lopez.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava thanked the officers who responded to the shooting for keeping the community safe, writing on X: “Our hearts go out to the Doral community and @DoralPolice following last night’s gun violence, as we pray for a swift recovery for all those injured and for the families of the victims. Today, and every day, we are so grateful for the men and women in uniform who keep us safe.”
Three active investigations into the iꦏncident are currently underway, officials said.
The City of Doral Police is investigating the original fight, while Mia♋mi-Dade Police is conducting a homicide investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
