4 Kids Hit With Gunfire at Miami-Dade Park

Men arrive at crowded park and start firing as kids practiced on football field, witnesses said

At least four children were struck with bullets after a group of men pulled up to a popular Miami-Dade County park and opened fire Tuesday evening, police said.

The shooting happened at West Little River Park, located at 2326 NW 84th Street.

Police said at least two gunmen jumped out of two cars at around 6:00 p.m. with what appeared to be an AK-47 and a high-powered hand gun and began firing at a group of men who were in the park.

"I saw this black car pull up and three guys jumped out in masks, they took out AK-47s and started shooting toward the park," said witness Lillian Towles.

The spray of bullets hit several children at the popular park where many optimist football and cheerleading squads practice, police said.

Jabhari Payne, a 3-year-old boy, was grazed by a bullet and two other boys, 11-year-old Tyrie Collins and Debonair Blake, 14, were hit while practicing with their teammates from the Northside Panthers optimist football team, police said.

Zamara Barnes, the 16-year-old daughter of football coach Eduardo Barnes, was also hit with a bullet, police said.  

None of the injuries are considered life-threatening.

"I was trying to get my team down on the ground, they were out there, to make sure they weren't going to get hit by a bullet," said Barnes. "And then when I finished doing that, I went to check on my daughter, I found out that they were grazed by one of the bullets. Life don't prepare you for nothing like that."

As the chaotic scene unfolded, police held several men in custody on a field at the park for questioning.

Neighborhood residents were upset that anyone would open fie at a park known for being packed with children.

Police are looking for a dark blue Dodge Challenger with tinted windows and a black Nissan Altima or Ford Fusion with tinted windows.

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