It’s Monday, March 21st – and NBC 6 has the top stories of the day.
No. 1 - A total of five people were hospitalized after two separate shootings that took place during Spring Break weekend in Miami Beach.
Miami Beach Police said officers arrived in the 700 block of Ocean Drive after reports of gunfire in the area around 1 a.m. Monday. Police found two women suffering from gunshot wounds in the area. One woman, who was not identified, was transported to Ryder Trauma Center with non life-threatening injuries. The second victim, who was also not identified, was treated for a graze wound and transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital. On Sunday morning, three people were hospitalized after a shooting just after midnight along Ocean Drive near 8th Street.
No. 2 - A man died after he was set on fire during an argument Sunday in northwest Miami-Dade, police said.
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The incident happened at 11:19 a.m. in the 7200 block of NW 72nd Avenue, according to Miami-Dade Police. According to investigators, two men got into a fight, during which one of the men set the other on fire. The victim died at the scene. Further details were not available. It's unclear what was used to ignite the fire. Police did not provide a description of the suspect, who is still at large. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
No. 3 - The Senate Judiciary Committee is beginning historic confirmation hearings Monday for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Barring a significant misstep by the 51-year-old Jackson, a federal judge for the past nine years, Democrats who control the Senate by the slimmest of margins intend to wrap up her confirmation before Easter. Jackson is expected to present an opening statement Monday afternoon, then answer questions from the committee's 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans over the next two days. Jackson appeared before the same committee last year, after President Joe Biden chose her to fill an opening on the federal appeals court in Washington, just down the hill from the Supreme Court.
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No. 4 - Hollywood police gathered Sunday to pay their respects and honor the lives of three officers killed in the line of duty in 2021.
From there, several officers will embark on a special caravan to bring love and hope to families dealing with loss. Around 50 officers are heading to various departments throughout the state to bring comfort and support to families who have lost an officer on the line of duty. First stop: Vero Beach. From Vero Beach, the motorcycle caravan will visit each department in our state where an officer has been killed in the past year. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Victor Jorges.
No. 5 - The City of Miami is making strides to position itself as a world leader in cryptocurrency.
In fact, Mayor Francis Suarez announced plans to create and distribute digital wallets to residents last November during an interview with CoinDeskTV. Miami also hosted the world’s largest cryptocurrency conference and launched its own digital currency – the MiamiCoin. The city’s moves were well-received, but many South Floridians are still baffled by the concept of cryptocurrency, NFTs, crypto-mining, and everything else embedded in the crypto-verse. Click here for more in NBC 6’s digital series.
No. 6 - For the No. 10 seeded Miami Hurricanes, the return to the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament will last another week.
The 'Canes dominated from the start of the game and cruised late to defeat the No. 2 seeded Auburn Tigers 79-61 in the second round of the Midwest Region on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. The Hurricanes started the second half on a 8-0 run thanks to the combination of Isaiah Wong and fellow guard Kameron McGusty. Miami advances to the Sweet 16 round of the tournament for the fourth time in its 11 tournament appearances, with three of those visits coming in head coach Jim Larranaga's 11 seasons with the 'Canes. The Hurricanes will play No. 11 seed Iowa State on Friday in Chicago.
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