MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Ten people were hospitalized Thursday night following a shooting in Miami Gardens during a music video shoot for Moroccan-American rapper French Montana and New Orleans-based rapper Rob49, a fellow rapper at the scene told reporters.
A crowd of people was outside of a shopping plaza that is home to The Licking restaurant just before 8 p.m. Thursday when the sound of gunfire erupted. Wilmark Baez said that when he ran to protect children as young as six he lost his dog in the mayhem. He said the production staff rented his lowrider for the video.
“I was just out here with my God kids, so they could meet French Montana and enjoy the video,” Baez said.
Miami-based rapper Ced Mogul said he was invited by a promoter to the video shoot that was filming in the area along Northwest 177th Street and 27th Avenue.
One scene was behind a KFC and the other was behind The Licking.
“I heard the gunshots. It was sporadic gunshots. I think it was at least 12 shots,” Mogul said.
At some point, Mogul said, a participant was robbed of a Rolex and a cell phone, and things escalated from there.
“I took off running and I was looking back, but I was like, you know what? Let me just duck first,” he said. “Other people were running by with blood on them.”
Mogul said French Montana’s security guard and Rob49 were two of the victims injured in the shooting.
“We see French Montana’s security guard getting shot. And he got shot and then Rob49 got shot in the neck,” Mogul said. “I think French Montana’s security blocked a lot of the gunshots that were supposed to be shooting at French Montana and Rob49.”
Some victims were taken away by ambulance, but others either drove themselves to the hospital, or to a nearby fire station, or were taken by others to a hospital, but not all victims ended up at the same place.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials confirmed Friday that a total of 10 people were injured in the shooting, four of who were “self-transported” to local hospitals. MDFR personnel transported the remaining six victims by ground and air rescue to local trauma centers.
A row of businesses and restaurants in the area were shut down immediately following the shooting.