Police Identify Teen Killed In Miami Shooting
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami police have released the name of the teen who died after being shot Tuesday evening.
Damien Ramirez, 16, was walking with a friend when they were confronted by two males at the intersection of NW 17th Avenue and NW 31st Street.
Police said the males, possibly juveniles, pulled out guns and started shooting at Ramirez and his friend.
Ramirez was hit multiples. He was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center where he died a short time later.
Ramirez's mother, Lissette Lantigua, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "He was a sweet outgoing kid, living his 16-year-old life. He was loved by everyone. He meant no harm to anyone. If he had a problem with someone, he would take it up and take care of it. He was extremely helpful and a nice person and very caring. He didn't deserve to die this way.
"He was my son. Now I am not going to know what will happen with his life. I am missing a piece of my heart. He was a happy little guy. He was our happiness. He was our Damien. He was loved by everyone. Now we are preparing for a funeral and making arrangements.
"If people know something, they should come forward. Please come forward. You don't have to give your name. You can remain anonymous.
"This was my son's life," she said. "He was not an animal."
Our community, once again, grieves over the senseless shooting of a 16-year old child in Miami. Stop the cowardly code of silence. #Enough
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) November 23, 2016
Ramirez lived in Allapatah with his grandmother.
"It's sad, it's very sad that this happened," said Elsie Figueroa, who knew Ramirez. "It breaks my heart. I don't know if they know who did it, why they did it. He was not into gangs, he was not into drugs, he was a good 16-year-old boy."
"It's very tragic. I see him as family to me," said Frances, a friend. "I've known him since he was ten years old, he's a good kid"
Figueroa said a second person, a homeless man, was also hit by the gunfire. He was struck in the arm and taken to Jackson Memorial.
"It touches my heart for Tony that was also hurt. The homeless guy, he was blind," she said.
Osirus Romeiro said several of the bullets pierced the walls of his store and hit a mannequin.
"When I came in this morning I said, 'Oh, what happened here?' The bullets were outside," he said.
Friends of Ramirez said they hope someone who knows about the shooting will do the right thing and call either the police or crime stoppers.
"It's just hard, right before Thanksgiving, I can only imagine what's going to happen. I hope that people come forward. If it was their kid I know that they would want somebody to come forward," said Frances.
CBS4 was at the crime scene as police discovered and seized a gun. It's not known if that weapon was used in the crime.
On Wednesday afternoon, five Miami police cars lined NW 17th Avenue. An officer said they were stepping up their presence after the shooting.
