MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – As the police investigation into the mass shooting that killed three people early Sunday morning intensifies, so does Miami-Dade County’s probe into the property where it happened.
County officials confirmed to Local 10 News on Friday afternoon that they have declared the El Mula Banquet Hall building an unsafe structure. It is in part because of electrical work that officials said did not come with the proper permitting.
That could pose a fire risk, and the electricity to the building has been ordered to be shut off.
Meanwhile, inspectors with the Division of Environmental Resources Management on Thursday posted a “field notice to correct a sanitary nuisance” on the business. A county spokesperson says the DERM notice is related to El Mula not having a proper system to dispose of fats, oils and grease from food operations in the kitchen.
The close look into the banquet hall in Northwest Miami-Dade comes days after 23 people were shot in an ambush there.
Local 10 also learned El Mula was in violation of its certificate of use to operate as a simple banquet hall.
“The inspection revealed unauthorized use (not operating just as a simple banquet hall), and there are pending violations that will be issued based on this discovery,” a county spokesperson wrote in an email.
At this time, county officials don’t believe the code violations are directly related to Sunday’s album release party before the shooting, but say the inspection of the venue was prompted by police who asked Code Enforcement officers to take a closer look after the incident.
Two 26-year-old men — Desmond Owens and Clayton Dillard III — were killed Sunday, and 32-year-old Shankquia Peterson died from her injuries Thursday.
Police have still not made any arrests, and investigators and family members of the victims are pleading with the public for information.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
There is a $130,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. TV personality and CEO Marcus Lemonis contributed $100,000, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives contributed $25,000, and Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers contributed $5,000.