Stray Bullet Kills Teen Outside Popular Miami-Dade Restaurant
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A stray bullet killed a teenage girl in the parking lot of a well-known restaurant near Miami International Airport.
Ana Alvarez Hernandez, 16, was shot outside the 94th Aero Squadron restaurant just before 3 a.m. on Sunday when a fight broke out.
"There were two groups of males who were fighting and we know that at least one of them went to the car grabbed the firearm and began shooting," said Miami-Dade Detective Argemis Colome. "She ran like everybody else did when they heard the gunshots."
Hernandez was hit when she ran to seek cover.
She was taken to a nearby hospital by friends where she was later pronounced dead. Colome said none of her friends called the police about the shooting. It was the hospital that contacted investigators who are attempting to circle back to find out who fired the fatal shot.
"I can only imagine what it is to receive that phone call that your 16-year-old is dead. That is unacceptable, it's something we're taking very seriously and it's something detectives are working every hour of the day to try to find that person responsible for this," said Colome.
Hernandez and her family came to South Florida from Cuba in the last two years.
The parking lot behind the restaurant is known as a place to view planes taking off and landing at Miami International Airport. It's also a hangout spot on the weekends for young people.
It's not known if she knew anyone involved in the fight.
Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho posted on Twitter, "It is infuriating and tragic that a young woman with so much promise could lose her life in such a senseless way; victim of an indiscriminate bullet that should never have been fired. My deepest condolences to Ana's family during this unbearable time."
Police are asking for help in identifying the people involved in this fight and shooting. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
So far they do not have a description to release of the shooter or a getaway vehicle.
There's a reward of up to $3,000.
