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An Uber driver was shot in the shoulder and a passenger possibly grazed by a bullet on the night of this Friday in the neighborhood of Buena Vista West, in northwest Miami, according to the Miami Police.
The incident was initially detected by the ShotSpotter system, which registered a gunfire alert near Northwest Second Avenue and 38th Street, around 10 PM, when no witnesses had yet called 911.
Despite being shot while transporting his passenger, the driver did not stop at the scene: he continued driving north and called the authorities from the area of Northwest Fifth Avenue and 46th Street, several blocks north of where the shooting occurred.
Paramedics from Miami Fire Rescue transported both victims to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the main trauma center of Miami-Dade and the usual destination for gunshot wound victims in the area, for medical care.
The passenger traveling in the vehicle possibly suffered a擦伤, according to authorities, although their condition was not officially detailed.
The shooting also triggered a separate accident involving a police officer. While a Miami Police sergeant was heading to the scene of the shooting, a vehicle that ran a stop sign collided with his patrol car, causing it to overturn.
The sergeant did not sustain serious injuries, but was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, authorities confirmed. "While a sergeant was heading to the scene, a vehicle that ran a stop sign collided with his patrol car, which ended up overturned," reported Telemundo 51 about the incident.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the driver who collided with the patrol car was arrested, and the authorities did not provide further details about the incident.
The Buena Vista West neighborhood, located in the northwest of Miami, records violent crime rates above the national average. The northwest of the city has been a recurring scene of shootings in recent months, with several incidents reported in the area resulting in fatalities and serious injuries.
The ShotSpotter system —an acoustic gunshot detection technology using urban sensors that alerts the police nearly in real-time— was crucial in this case, as it enabled officers to respond before any witnesses reported the incident. Miami-Dade has maintained and renewed the use of this tool as part of its active policing strategy.
As of the time of publication, authorities had not released information about suspects or the potential motive behind the shooting. "Authorities have not disclosed information about a suspect or what may have triggered the shooting," noted Local 10. The investigation remains open, and anyone with information about the case can call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
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