MIAMI – A fire erupted Monday morning at a four-story apartment building in Miami and a man — identified by building management as an employee — was found shot on the third floor of the building, authorities confirmed.
Authorities believe the suspect who shot the worker may have also started the fire.
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Sky 10 was above the building, located at 431 Northwest Third St., around 9 a.m. as heavy smoke was coming from the building.
It’s part of the Temple Court Apartments complex.
According to first responders, the call came in around 8:15 a.m. as an explosion and there are many elderly people who live at the apartment building.
Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez confirmed that crews responded to the scene and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the third floor of the building. Officials said they rescued in upwards of 40 people.
“Firefighters extended hose lines into the structure for an aggressive fire attack and simultaneously other crews began rescuing victims from their units,” Sanchez said in an email to Local 10 News. “Multiple residents were rescued from their apartments and some from their balconies. A second alarm was struck based on the operational needs for strategies and tactics.”
The fire was later upgraded to a three-alarm fire.
“This is a three-alarm fire. We haven’t had one in 25 years, and so this is something that is obviously a large event for us and they’re doing a heroic job in dealing with it, including rescuing residents throughout this incident,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said during a press conference. “This is a very old structure made in the 1920s. It’s possible that there was some accelerant.”
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Suarez said more than 40 units responded to the scene.
When crews arrived, they found a man who had been shot in the abdomen on the third floor.
Suarez said just after 6 p.m. that the suspected shooter was taken into custody and said the shooter may have started the fire.
That person was in police custody and not hospitalized as of Monday evening, he said. Authorities hadn’t yet released the suspect’s name.
Sanchez released a statement Monday night that stated, in part: “At this time, the Miami Fire Investigation Unit, Miami Police, and the State Fire Marshal’s office shall now proceed with their investigation. The incident took eight hours to control, and two units will remain on the scene overnight extinguishing spot fires that may occur. The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents due to the extent of damage to the building.”
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In a statement posted to social media, the Atlantic Housing Foundation, which manages the complex, said the man shot was an employee.
The statement said the nonprofit is “shocked and saddened” by what happened.
“We are grieved by all that has happened today, and our thoughts and prayers are with our team member and his family and residents of the Temple Court community,” the statement reads.
We are shocked and saddened to share this news regarding Temple Court Apartments, one of our Miami, Florida communities....
Posted by Atlantic Housing Foundation on Monday, June 10, 2024
The victim was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.
He was identified by family members as 30-year-old Feder Biotte, a worker at the apartment complex.
In addition to the shooting victim, Sanchez confirmed that one resident was hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, and three firefighters were transported to a hospital in stable condition “for further evaluation.”
Two of those firefighters were later released from the hospital, according to MFR.
Because of the scale of the fire, fire rescue crews transitioned to a “defensive” attack as the fire was too dangerous to fight from the inside.
Residents were moved to Lummus Park across the street as firefighters continued to battle the flames. They later went to Jose Marti Park, where they were given food and other essentials.
Local 10 News spoke with some of those displaced residents.
Everyone was accounted for, Suarez said.
The mayor confirmed the American Red Cross is coordinating housing and medication and the mayor’s office is handling the food for residents.