Miami

Community Leaders Call For Peace, End to Violence After Deadly Shooting Thursday

Members of one Miami community pleaded for an end to violence in the inner city Friday, hours after a Thursday night shooting took the life of one teenager and sent another to the hospital.

Members of the faith community and others from the Pork and Beans area of Liberty City met with the media in an effort to raise awareness to the latest shooting. The group called on elected officials and other leaders to help stop the senseless violence in the area.

Police responded to the scene Thursday shortly before 9 PM near Northwest 12th Avenue and 67th Street. Once there, they found two victims who had been shot. Both were transported to Ryder Trauma Center, where 18-year-old Antquinisha Flowers was pronounced dead.

The mother of Flowers said she was an innocent bystander, standing outside listening to headphones when she was caught in the gunfire of a drive-by shooting.

"This is my baby, she just turned 18 years old, she didn’t mess with anybody," Shanell Flowers said. "My baby was in the 12th grade, she was going to school, she didn’t mess with nobody."

The other victim, a 17-year-old man who is Flowers' cousin, was treated and released.

Shanell Flowers said her mother was also gunned down in a shootout on the very same street 13 years ago.

"I just want to go and don't ever look back, this is the worst day of my life and I just don't want to look back," she said.

A vigil was held Friday night at the scene of the shooting.

A Crime Stoppers reward of up to $3,000 is being offered for information in the case. Anyone with info is asked to call 305-471-TIPS.

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