Shocking social media video shows the moments when a fight outside Miami Northwestern Senior High School ended with a teen gunman opening fire on another teen last week.
The shooting happened Thursday in the area of Northwest 12th Avenue and 71st Street and left a 14-year-old hospitalized in critical condition.
Community members and students said the shooting happened after a basketball game against Central High School.
Cellphone video obtained by NBC6 on Tuesday showed a group of people involved in an argument in a parking lot outside the school.
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Two males start fighting and punches are thrown before the two are separated. Suddenly, one of the males, who was wearing a grey hoodie and shorts, pulls out a gun and opens fire, the video shows.
Multiple gunshots are heard as people run from the scene screaming. An officer is seen quickly responding with a gun drawn.
A Miami-Dade County Public Schools spokesperson confirmed to NBC6 Tuesday that the student who was shot was continuing to receive medical attention. Officials haven't released the teen's identity or said which school he attends.
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Officials confirmed over the weekend that an arrest had been made in the shooting. The 15-year-old suspect is facing charges including attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm on school property and possession of a firearm by a minor.
According to an arrest report, both teens had been attending the basketball game as spectators and after it ended, got into a verbal exchange and agreed to a fight.
The 15-year-old fired eight shots, hitting the 14-year-old five times, including once in the head, the report said.
On Friday, the 15-year-old turned himself in with his mother and grandfather, the report said. He admitted to having the handgun, which he said was a black Taurus with a 30-round extended magazine, the report said.
He also said he dropped the gun as he was fleeing the school, and the firearm was later found along the exterior fence of the school track, the report said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, community members and local leaders gathered across the street from Miami Northwestern to call for action in the wake of the shooting.
Although the gathering came on the heels of the shooting, those in attendance said that their frustrations went much further back than last week.
"Not only are we devastated, [but also] we are furious of the magnitude of gun violence that has crept on to the school campus," parent and activist Tangie Sands-Miller said. "Obviously, these kids are comfortable bringing guns to school. The gun violence needs to be fought. The gun violence needs to be fought on multiple ends, starting at home first, then the school system, the music industry and the legal system."
Sands-Miller said that schools like Miami Northwestern Senior High should implement a clear backpack policy and install metal detectors.
"I am begging parents, legal guardians, etcetera to become more involved in the everyday activity of their kids because no parent wants to get that phone call that their child has been injured or killed by the hands of another student," Sands-Miller said. "I think that it is time for an upgrade in the security system."
The School Board district representative for District 2, encompassing Northwestern, was in attendance, as well, and noted that she would be open to security policy changes if that's how the parents and guardians vote.
"If the people feel strongly enough to maintain what they want -- one school in my district, and I have 60 schools," Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall said. "Yes, one school has it. The parents voted for it, and other schools can do likewise."
Though proposed solutions for addressing the gun violence were mixed, the focus on doing so was consistent among all in attendance.
"These students feel emboldened. There are no consequences or accountability, especially from the schools," community member Dr. Robert Malone said. "We need to start putting out a message, saying that we are not going to stand for this."
Dr. Malone, who also serves on Miami-Dade County's Black Affairs Advisory Board, said that one possible solution to gun violence in South Florida could be stricter enforcement of Florida's so-called 10-20-Life law. The measure requires courts to impose a minimum sentence of 10 years, 20 years or 25 years to life for certain felony convictions that involve the use of a firearm. But activist Madame Renita Holmes disagreed.
"I believe everybody should be punished and held accountable because, somewhere, we've lost our mind. We build more buildings than we build children," Holmes said. "This is nonsense. This is not even intelligent. This is not logical."
Holmes said that a wholistic approach would be necessary to make a true impact on gun violence in the community, as those present Tuesday each encouraged parents and guardians to attend School Board meetings and make their voices heard.
"Nine times out of 10, we fight each other," Dr. Bendross-Mindingall said. "We can't afford that because we have work to do."
