Devoun Cetoute, Charles Rabin, Omar Rodriguez-Ortiz
Miami Herald
(TNS)
As many as 10 people were shot outside a popular soul food restaurant Thursday night in Miami Gardens when an argument between two groups of people escalated to gunfire, police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were injured at The Licking Miami Gardens, 17647 NW 27th Ave., nor what led to the 8 p.m. shooting, police said. There may have been up to 10 people hit by gunfire, according to a law enforcement source.
As of 2 a.m., police hadn’t reported any deaths or arrests. The source said one of the shooting victims was in critical condition. Several of the injured were spotted at different locations not far from the restaurant after scattering following the gunfire.
At Jackson Memorial Hospital, the victims’ loved ones waited patiently overnight with somber faces hoping for positive news.
Before the shooting, according to Miami Gardens police spokeswoman Diana Delgado-Gourgue, the victims were outside of The Licking around Northwest 176th Street and 27th Avenue where a large crowd had gathered.
Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt said investigators were looking into reports that a video was being shot in front of the restaurant.
“We believe it’s an isolated incident,” she said.
Social media posts suggested that New Orleans rapper Rob49 and French Montana’s bodyguard were shot while shooting a music video. WSVN 7News spoke to witnesses who said the shoot was for French Montana.
Video from several Twitter users showed police giving aid to two men whom the posters identified as Rob49 and French Montana’s bodyguard.
Witness Ced Mogul told NBC 6 the video was originally shot at a nearby KFC but later moved to The Licking following a robbery. He also shared a video with the station that showed French Montana and Rob49 sitting in the backseat of a car during the shoot.
Police had not confirmed such speculation.
A 2019 Forbes article called DJ Khaled a co-owner and brand ambassador of The Licking, partnering with Elric “E-Class” Prince. State records say this The Licking franchise is owned by Miami Finga Licking 176 LLC, which registered with the state in April 2015 and lists Prince as company president.
This is a developing story.
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