MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava vowed Monday to bring the people responsible for this weekend’s mass shootings in Wynwood and northwest Miami-Dade to justice and to provide law enforcement officials with the resources they need to solve these crimes.
But the mayor said they cannot fight gun violence alone.
“We need your help. We need your help,” she said. “We need information. We need you to come forward if you have information to help us solve these crimes.”
Levine Cava called both shootings “shameful acts of violence” that are “unacceptable.”
“Let me be very clear. We will do everything, everything we can and use every resource available to bring these people to justice,” she said. “We will leave no stone unturned. We will leave nothing behind to bring these shooters to justice.”
The mayor said she is confident the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Miami-Dade state attorney will use the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act to bring enhanced penalties against the criminals involved in this weekend’s shootings.
A total of seven people were shot Friday night in the area of Northwest 20th Street and Northwest First Court in Wynwood. One of those victims died.
And early Sunday morning, two people were killed and 21 others were injured in a shooting outside of the El Mula banquet hall in northwest Miami-Dade.
The victims range in age from 17 to 32. As of Monday morning, 17 victims remained hospitalized, three of who were listed in critical condition.
Among those killed was Clayton Dillard III, whose distraught father showed up to Monday’s news conference.
“You all killed my kid!” Clayton Dillard Sr. screamed as he was escorted away by officers.
“And that’s the pain that you see,” Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez told reporters. “That is the pain that affects our community right there, right before you. That’s why together, all of us, we must work harder to bring justice to these families who are crying, as you hear right now. Know that the Miami-Dade Police Department will not stop. We will bring justice. Our community is united.”
As part of their commitment to curb gun violence, Levine Cava said the county will be investing in Project Green Light, putting up cameras in high-crime areas. She said the project has already proven to be successful in Detroit.
“I want to emphasize that we’re investing more resources in the proposed Peace and Prosperity plan into the crime, into the intelligence analysts that are important for predicting and finding out things ahead of time,” she said.
Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $30,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the shooting in northwest Miami-Dade. Businessman and television personality Marcus Lemonis, meanwhile, is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
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