Two men arrested over the weekend in connection with last month's shooting of two teenagers in Liberty City were released Monday while a third person named as a suspect is no longer being sought, officials said.
On Saturday, police arrested 21-year-old Yaairnes Bryant and 19-year-old Anthony Clinch in connection with the April 8 shooting that killed 17-year-old Kimson Green and 18-year-old Rickey Dixon. Two other teens were also injured in the shooting.
At a news conference Monday, Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina said officers were also seeking 19-year-old Deondre McDuffy in the shooting.
But on Monday, police announced that Bryant and Clinch were released and that McDuffy was no longer being sought. Police said investigators reviewed video that supports an alibi for the suspects.
"While the Miami Police Department is committed to the pursuit of justice, it is equally committed to the protection of the innocent," Colina said in a statement. "We would like to assure the public that we will continue to maintain the highest possible ethical standards as we strive to keep our community safe."
Green was a student at Northwestern Senior High School and was a month away from being nominated into the National Honor Society. Dixon had previously attended the school.
"If we made a mistake, we made a mistake. We're not going to hide from it or run from it. It is what it is, and we're going to do what's proper," Colina added. "We want to make sure that we get it right. we don't want a scenario where someone who is innocent of a crime is sitting in jail."
The shooting led to student walkouts at Northwestern to protest gun violence.
