A month after a violent shooting that shocked Little Havana in Miami, a newly released surveillance video has starkly revealed the moments when an armed man opened fire on his own neighbors during a birthday party.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of October 24, left three people injured and highlighted the fragility of coexistence in one of the city's most iconic neighborhoods.
A celebration turned into a nightmare
What began as a quiet family gathering at the house near Southwest 12th Avenue quickly turned into a scene of terror.
Images from a surveillance camera show 38-year-old Angelo García confronting a group of neighbors who were gathering in the front yard of the house.
Seconds later, the man draws a weapon and fires repeatedly.
In the video, the desperate screams of the victims can be heard as they try to seek refuge.
The reason: A neighborhood dispute
According to police reports, García went to the party looking for a person with whom he had had a confrontation a week earlier.
Upon not finding him, he threw stones at the house and then proceeded to shoot at the attendees.
The three individuals struck by bullets: a 75-year-old woman, her 53-year-old son, and a 26-year-old man, were urgently transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Everyone survived, although the injuries were serious.
“It was exactly midnight. I was in bed, awake, watching television until I heard those six or seven loud bangs,” recounted a neighbor who wished to remain anonymous to the local press.
"We were celebrating my mother's birthday, and a guy came from next door and started shooting at everyone. It was madness," one of the relatives told NBC6.
"Incredibly, they are alive; thank God we can say they are alive and not celebrating three funerals or four, or who knows how many more," he added.
Capture of the aggressor
After the attack, Angelo García fled the scene. He was located the next day at a Comfort Suites hotel in the southwest of Miami-Dade County.
The operation to capture involved the participation of a SWAT team, Miami police officers, the Sheriff's office, and Federal Marshals.
Since then, García has been in custody at the Metro West detention center.
Faces multiple charges, including four for attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Authorities confirmed that he had at least five previous convictions for serious crimes.
Although the events happened a month ago, the video has been released this week by the authorities and local media, becoming a crucial piece of evidence in the judicial process against García.
Moreover, it has sparked outrage among local residents and opened a new debate on criminal recidivism and the ease of access to firearms by individuals with a criminal record.
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