Miami Barber Shot, Killed Over Parking Spot
MIAMI (CBS4) – An argument over a parking space reportedly led to a deadly shooting in Miami on Sunday.
It happened outside Mieses's barber shop at 5325 N.E. 2nd Avenue.
During an argument over the parking spot, witnesses said a security guard, whose name has not been released, shot the owner of the barber shop, 37-year old Gerson Mieses.
Miami Police Officer Frederica Burden said when one of their officers arrived on the scene, he tried to separate the men.
"The security guard then took a step back and shot the employee of the barber shop, which in turn the officer stepped back and asked him to drop his weapon and then he shot the security guard," Burden said.
Both the guard and Mieses died.
"The security guard flipped his lid and pushed someone aside and shot the barber," said Martin Cole who saw it all go down. "The security guard came out from behind someone and then shot the barber in the chest area. I didn't see any weapon on the barber. He was just mad and waving his hands a little bit, but I didn't see any weapons."
Burden said the officer who shot the guard is close to retirement and has nearly 20 years of experience.
The security guard's first name was Ruben, according to his cousin Joshua Rodero, who showed up at the barber shop Sunday night.
"It's a very sad situation for both sides of the families. My side is the security guard. We understand shots were fired. This was a situation that went from bad to worse. It's part of life. It's unfortunate for both sides of the families," said Rodero. "He was a loving man, a family man. There was nothing in his past to show this would happen."
Friends of Mieses said the two men had been at odds for months. They say the security guard had been handing out fliers for a rival barbershop that recently opened across the street. They added that the two would often fight about over a parking spot and claim the guard had threatened Mieses days earlier.
"Before he died he told me that the dude said he was gonna kill him," said Rashad Williams.
Neighbors and friends of Mieses stopped by the shop after hearing word of his death.
"He was a very nice young man. I'm very very sad. Everybody is sad, it's a big loss," said Moses Stephan.
"It was terrible. There was no need for something to go that far," said Jean Robinson. "It's sad. It really is."
Robinson also said she was knew the security guard and called him a "nice guy."
"He was a good guy, I'm at a loss," said "Jones" whose been a customer of the shop for 20 years.
"I feel terrible and said," said Laura Valverde, who also said she knew the security guard. "It's not right to have a shooting over a parking space."
