2021 Hialeah shooting explained

Fatalities:3
Injuries:20
Date:May 30, 2021
2021 Hialeah shooting
Location:Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Type:Mass shooting,
Motive:Gang Violence
Accused:Davonte Barnes, Warneric Buckner, Allen Chambers, Willie Hill, Jacarree Green, Eugene Holmes, Unknown Others
Convictions:Davonte Barnes
Litigation:Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Christopher Flanagan, Khalil Quinan
Judge:Marisa Tinkler Mendez

On May 30, 2021, twenty-three people were shot, of whom three were killed,[1] [2] in a mass shooting outside a banquet hall in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.[3] [4] Some of the suspects in the shooting are still at large.[5]

Incident

The El Mula Banquet Hall was rented out for a hip hop concert. The concert was a Memorial Day weekend album release party that began on May 29 and featured live performances by local hip hop artists.[6] The shooting took place around 12:30 am[7] when two vehicles pulled up and the occupants began to open fire into the crowd.[8] [9]

One of the injured called his parents, who told reporters their son said the shooters wore ski masks and hoodies, and opened fire with no warning.[10] Police say the shooting was targeted.[8] Another wounded victim died in the hospital four days later.[11]

Response

The Miami-Dade Police Director said that the shooting was a "targeted and cowardly act of gun violence". The Chief of the Miami Police Department, discussed the shooting with the media in connection to another shooting earlier in the week and claimed the two shootings were "an indication of the problem we have with the scourge of gun violence in this country that we need to do much more at a federal level to stop."

Governor Ron DeSantis also issued a statement which offered condolences to those killed and injured, and that the perpetrators would be brought to swift justice. In response to DeSantis's condolences, state Senator Shevrin Jones urged DeSantis to sit down with state Democrats and discuss ways of addressing gun violence, saying, "Thoughts and prayers have been going on for years and thoughts and prayers haven't done a damn thing inside the Black community - or any community when it comes to gun violence."[12]

Local businessman and television personality Marcus Lemonis offered a $100,000 reward to help authorities arrest and convict the suspects in the case.[13] The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives later added $25,000 to the reward, for a total of $125,000.

Arrests

On September 24, 2021, police arrested 22-year-old Miami Gardens resident Davonte Barnes (born June 7, 1999) in connection to being the gunmen's lookout.[14] A couple of weeks later on October 7, 20-year-old Miami Gardens resident Warneric Buckner (born May 18, 2001) was arrested and confessed to being one of the gunmen.[15] On December 15, 2021, all charges against him were dropped, because police continued to question him after he had requested an attorney, and he had given an incriminating statement before his attorney had arrived, in violation of his Miranda rights.[16] [17] Buckner would later be charged with the unrelated murder of a six-year-old girl, in another mass shooting outside a party.[18] In November 2023, Davonte Barnes was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of three counts of second degree murder and 20 counts of second degree attempted murder two months earlier.[19] [20]

On June 13, 2024, four individuals were arrested and charged in connection with the 2021 mass shooting.[21] The suspects, identified as Allen Gregory Chambers Jr., Willie Zavon Hill, Jacarree Brian Green, and Eugene Anthony Holmes (22), face multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, 20 counts of first-degree attempted murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.[22] The arrest warrants were authorized by Assistant Miami-Dade State Attorney Khalil Quinan, with Miami-Dade Police investigator Alexandra Turnes leading the investigation.[23] During a press conference, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle emphasized that the attack was premeditated and targeted performers and attendees at the event.[24] These arrests come three years after the initial incident and follow the earlier conviction of Barnes. The investigation remains ongoing, with Fernandez Rundle indicating that additional suspects may be charged in the future.[25]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Levenson . Eric . Burnside . Tina . Chen . Natasha . Conlon . Kevin . May 31, 2021 . Surveillance video shows masked suspects who police say opened fire outside Florida concert . 2021-06-04 . CNN . en-US.
  2. Web site: Shapiro . Emily . June 4, 2021 . 3rd victim dies from Miami mass shooting, gunmen still at large: Police . 2021-06-04 . ABC News . en-US.
  3. Web site: Singh . Kanishka . 1 June 2021 . Donovan . Kirsten . Gunmen kill two, wound more than 20 outside Florida banquet hall . registration . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210617220455/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/two-dead-more-than-20-injured-florida-shooting-2021-05-30/ . 17 June 2021 . 30 May 2021 . .
  4. News: Razek . Raja . Yan . Holly . James . Laura . May 30, 2021 . At least 22 people shot, 2 fatally, after assailants get out of an SUV and fire assault rifles at a club, police say . . 30 May 2021.
  5. Web site: Two people dead and over 20 injured in shooting outside Florida concert. 2021-05-30. www.cbsnews.com. May 30, 2021 . en-US.
  6. Web site: Cetoute. Devoun. May 30, 2021. 2 killed, 20 wounded in mass shooting at rap concert, Miami-Dade police say. live. May 30, 2021. Miami Herald. https://web.archive.org/web/20210530090240/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article251783868.html . May 30, 2021 .
  7. Web site: Burke. Peter. 2021-05-30. 2 killed, more than 20 shot in northwest Miami-Dade County. live. 2021-05-30. WPTV. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210530113910/https://www.wptv.com/news/state/miami-dade/northwest-miami-dade-county-mass-shooting . May 30, 2021 .
  8. Web site: Talmazan. Yuliya. May 30, 2021. Two dead and over 20 injured in Miami mass shooting, police say. live. 2021-05-30. NBC News. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210530104721/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-dead-over-20-injured-miami-mass-shooting-police-say-n1269113 . May 30, 2021 .
  9. Web site: Bush . Katrina . Holly . Jessica . Simmons . Robbin . 2 June 2021 . Police search for additional shooters involved in NW Miami-Dade banquet hall shooting . 2021-06-03 . WSVN . en-US.
  10. Web site: Luscombe. Richard. 2021-05-30. Two dead and more than 20 injured in Florida banquet hall shooting. live. 2021-05-30. the Guardian. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210530120652/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/30/two-dead-more-than-20-hurt--florida-banquet-hall-shooting . May 30, 2021 .
  11. Web site: Morejon . Liane . Forney . Terrell . Torres . Andrea . 2021-06-03 . Mass shooting death toll rises: Mother with bullet lodged in head dies in Miami-Dade . 2021-06-03 . WPLG . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2021-05-30. Florida banquet hall shooting: 2 dead, over 20 injured, police say. 2021-05-30. WFLA. en-US.
  13. Web site: Dwork. David. 2021-05-30. TV personality Marcus Lemonis offers reward of $100K following latest Miami-Dade mass shooting. 2021-05-30. WPLG. en.
  14. Web site: Morejon . Liane . Batchelor . Amanda . 2021-09-24 . Man arrested in connection with the mass shooting outside Miami-Dade banquet hall . 2021-09-24 . WPLG . en-US.
  15. Web site: Calloway . Ethan . 2021-10-07 . Second arrest made in connection to the mass shooting outside a banquet hall in Northwest Miami-Dade . 2021-10-07 . WSVN . en-US.
  16. Web site: 2021-12-15 . Accused El Mula Banquet Hall Shooter Warneric Buckner Released From Jail After Charges Dropped . 2023-07-16 . CBS Miami . en-US.
  17. Web site: 2021-12-15 . Charges Dropped Against Suspect in Miami-Dade Banquet Hall Mass Shooting . 2023-07-16 . NBC 6 South Florida . en-US.
  18. Web site: 2023-06-30 . Father reacts to arrest in 2021 murder of 6-year-old girl who was gunned down in Miami . 2023-09-03 . NBC 6 South Florida . en-US.
  19. News: Lookout in 2021 mass shooting at El Mula banquet hall sentenced to life in prison. . Christian Colon. Brian Hamacher. WTVJ. November 3, 2023. November 5, 2023.
  20. Web site: Davonte Barnes sentenced to life in prison for his role in 2021 mass shooting at Miami-Dade's El Mula Banquet Hall. CBS Miami. November 3, 2023. May 12, 2024.
  21. Web site: Four suspected gunmen in El Mula mass shooting three years ago arrested and charged. AOL. June 13, 2024. August 16, 2024.
  22. Web site: Four suspected gunmen in El Mula mass shooting three years ago arrested and charged. AOL. June 13, 2024. August 16, 2024.
  23. Web site: Four suspected gunmen in El Mula mass shooting three years ago arrested and charged. AOL. June 13, 2024. August 16, 2024.
  24. Web site: Four suspected gunmen in El Mula mass shooting three years ago arrested and charged. AOL. June 13, 2024. August 16, 2024.
  25. Web site: Four suspected gunmen in El Mula mass shooting three years ago arrested and charged. AOL. June 13, 2024. August 16, 2024.
  26. Web site: Yancey-Bragg. N'dea. 'Acts of domestic terrorism': Police hunt for suspects as new details emerge in Miami-area shooting that left two dead, 21 injured. 2021-06-03. USA TODAY. en-US.