HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Police are investigating two shootings in Miami-Dade County that left two teenagers dead over the weekend.
"I was crying most of last night. I couldn't believe it," South Dade Senior High School senior Iziyah Cefre said.
The victims have been identified by police as Rahkeem Brown, 16, who attended Homestead High School and Noricia Talabert, 17, who attended South Dade High School.
The latest shooting was reported just before 6:30 p.m. Sunday near 14121 SW 280th Street in Naranja. Police said shots were fired from inside of a car, striking Brown and Tyvontae Robinson, 16.
Both were taken to Kendall Regional Hospital, where Brown was pronounced dead and Robinson is listed in critical condition.
"Love your kids while you can because you never know what tomorrow brings. I don't wish this for nobody," Raheem's mother, Rontisha Brown, said.
Family members said Brown loved football, four-wheelers and motorcycles. He was about a block away from home when he was ambushed. Family members said he was picking up a baby pitbull for a friend when the shooting happened.
"Wrong place wrong time, definitely," Brown's friend, Billy Roddy said. "He didn't deserve that. He was a good kid."
Witnesses said a dark-colored car pulled up alongside the teens and someone from inside started shooting.
Brown apparently threw himself on Robinson in an effort to protect his friend.
"His friend saved his life," Robinson's aunt, Nicole Stroud, said. "It was meant for him and they just killed his friend."
People in the community believe the shooting may have been retaliation for a shooting that happened Saturday in Florida City, which left another teenager dead and two others injured.
"There's always the possibility that these two incidents are involved. Again, physical evidence is the only thing that's going to tie these things together or statements from subjects. So we have to let that investigation takes its course and this one as well," Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.
Police said the three teens in Florida City were ambushed by people inside a car while they were sitting in a red Nissan Sentra.
The driver of the Nissan, Talabert, sped away and crashed into a large tree, police said.
Talabert was pronounced dead at the scene. Deanna Clayton, 17, and Daquantay Allen, 17, were injured in the shooting.
Talabert's mother, Regina Talabert, said her daughter was the baby of the family and never gave her any problems.
"They cut her life off so short..she was a good girl," Regina Talabert said.
"She was a good girl, got straight-A's (and) wouldn't mess with nobody," Talabert's friend, Dion Foster, said. "The only thing she did was try to support her friends and family."
Regina Talabert said her daughter loved to shop and took pride in dressing well. She said they had planned to fill out college applications on Sunday.
"She had everything together. She was a lady," she said.
Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
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