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Body cam video shows police responding to fatal shooting inside Florida City Walmart

FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – Nearly two months after a shooting inside a Florida City Walmart left one man dead and another injured, police released new body camera video Tuesday that shows the chaos and panic at the store in the moments after the gunfire erupted.

Local 10 News obtained video from the vantage point of police officers searching for suspects inside the store for what was believed to be an active shooter inside a Walmart, located at 33501 S. Dixie Highway on July 19.

Body camera video shows police navigating toward a shooting victim in the store’s nail salon area, working to render aid with chest compressions.

“I heard six shots,” witness Johnnie Pacheco told Local 10 News in July. “And then everybody was running away, and this guy came, and he fell down by where they do the nail stuff, and he got shot right there in the chest two times and he was bleeding. I don’t know if he’s dead, but the ambulance took him with the air tanks and everything to the hospital. The other guy got shot in the leg.”

The victim, later identified as 22-year-old Nathaniel Baez, died from his injuries, authorities said.

Police said another “innocent bystander” was shot in the foot.

Additional surveillance video showed the moment police said an argument between two groups escalated into a shooting.

Local 10 News also obtained cellphone video that showed Walmart customers gasping as the shooting occurred.

Investigators identified three men who were later arrested in connection with the shooting.

Authorities arrested the alleged gunman, 25-year-old Steve Lestin, of Homestead, on charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder.

Roberto Acevedo, 20, who sources say was a Walmart employee, and Jimari Hodge, 21, are facing charges of misdemeanor battery. Both men are from Florida City.

The shooting led to panic and chaos throughout the store.

Lestin confessed to firing the shots, according to a police report.

Court records show that two of the three suspects have upcoming court hearings related to their charges in November.


About the Authors
Christina Vazquez headshot

Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment "Call Christina."

Ryan Mackey headshot

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

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