MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County police canvassed the Liberty City area Monday, looking for leads after two sisters were killed and two other people were wounded in a drive-by shooting over the weekend.
The department’s top leadership, including police Director Juan Perez, joined the officers hitting the streets.
“I’m here to walk around. I didn’t call anyone out. The district doesn’t know I’m here, but I’m doing this with the deputy director to see if we can garner some information from the people here,” Perez said.
Police said a gunman riding in a car opened fire on a group gathered around a vehicle just after 1 a.m. at Northwest 19th Avenue and Northwest 60th Street just outside Miami's Liberty City neighborhood.
Stephanie Telusme, 27, and Joanna Telusme, 23, were pronounced dead at the scene. Paramedics took Robert Allen, 30, and Jennifer Charles, 24, to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. Their injuries were described as not life-threatening.
“You know it’s unfortunate, these are innocent bystanders that got caught in the middle of a gun fight,” Perez said.
Minutes later near Northwest 22nd Avenue, officers spotted the gunman's car, but the four men inside bailed out and fled on foot, police said.
Authorities searched the area for hours using a police helicopter, K-9 units and dozens of officers on foot. Three men were taken into custody, but officer later determine they were not involved in the shooting.
Perez said they need more help from the public.
“We have some really good leads, and I know the streets know about the leads, and the people here know about the leads. But we still need help from the community to step up and give us whatever they feel is important,” Perez said.
The family of the Telusme sisters have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral expenses.
"No one was prepared for this moment," their wrote on the page. "Everyone who knew Stephanie and Joanna knew that they were inseparable, they did everything together and it gives our family a sense of peace to know that they now have each other for eternity."
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.