Two dead and seven injured as bar fight turns into horror shoot-out in Florida

A gunfight at a suburban Miami bar left two people dead and seven injured early in the early hours of this morning. Investigators said a fight between customers broke out around 3.30am at the Martini Bar in the CityPlace Doral development in Doral, Florida. When a security guard intervened, an unnamed man took out a gun and shot and killed the security guard, Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said.

Two Doral police officers who were also providing security returned fire, with one of them killing the gunman. One of the officers was shot in the thigh and applied a tourniquet to himself, Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez told reporters. “Even after he discharged his firearm, the extensive training that our police officers undergo is a testament to why that officer is alive today,” Mr Lopez said. Six other bystanders were also hit by gunfire — four men and two women, officials said.

The wounded officer has been released from a hospital, WTVJ-TV reported. The six bystanders remain hospitalised, with two in critical condition, Mr Zabaleta said. A resident of a nearby apartment told WPLG-TV that he heard a hail of gunfire. “I heard three initial gunshots,” said William Suedois. “Didn’t really know where it was coming from. I thought it was fireworks. Then I heard probably 10 or 15 directly after that — very, very fast and very loud. It was very scary, very scary.”

Mr Zabaleta said it’s “way too early to know” who shot who. Mr Lopez later told the Miami Herald that the two officers and the initial assailant were the only ones with guns. He said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shootings, while Miami-Dade Police are investigating the two deaths. The gunman and the security guard who were killed have not yet been identified. Investigators said on Saturday they could not yet say why the fight broke out.

The bar’s owners said they were co-operating with authorities and conducting their own investigation. Two d“This trauma will be felt deeply by us all for a long time to come, and we are here for our community today, and always,” the statement said.