MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The Miami-Dade Police Department and community leaders made a passionate plea Thursday to bring down the homicide rate in the county and remind people that "one bullet kills a party."
So far this year, there have been 90 homicides reported in Miami-Dade County, and more than 10 percent of them have happened this month.
A fatal shooting Wednesday night in Little Haiti was the latest homicide reported, bringing the homicide total for December in the county to 11.
"Why? Gun violence. That is unacceptable," Miami-Dade police Assistant Director Alfredo Ramirez said.
Recent victims of gun violence in Miami-Dade County include a mother who was struck by a bullet while driving her car, a 2-year-old boy who was riding his scooter in front of his home when he was shot and another mother who was sitting in her boyfriend's car when she was also struck by a bullet.
Every year, right around the Fourth of July and New Year's celebrations, local leaders push their "One Bullet Kills a Party" campaign, urging people in South Florida not to shoot weapons into the air.
But with so many homicides this year, they expanded their message Thursday outside of celebratory fire to shooting in general.
"Once a bullet is shot into the air it must come down, and it can come down on property, it could come down on people or it could come down in a place where it should not be coming down," Miami-Dade County Commission Vice Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson said.
"We're trying to educate our children for a safer world, and as adults, we're cranking rounds up in the air -- unacceptable. This is all of our responsibility," Ramirez said.
Miami-Dade police also pushed their gun bounty program, where people can anonymously report someone who has a weapon illegally.
If an arrest is made, the person who turned the culprit in can earn a $1,000 reward.
"A lot of these murders are circumstantial in nature, not many witnesses, very little forensics evidence, so we need everything we can get," Ramirez said. "Our detectives work 24 hours a day on these cases."