The celebration of a new life in Miami, FL came with the tragic loss of another Sunday night, and authorities and family members alike have more questions than answers as to why a North Miami man is now dead.
The man, Jeffrey Leroy, was shot at around 9 p.m. Sunday at the Gwen Margolis Community Center as family and friends gathered to celebrate an otherwise joyous occasion.
"There was a family celebrating a baby shower at this location and during that celebration, someone shot and killed another individual," North Miami Police spokesman Neal Cuevas said.
Authorities do not yet know what triggered the assault and are still talking to those who attended the event. It is not known what the victim's relation was to his assailant.
"At this point investigators, and there are several of them on the scene, are trying to gather all of that information to see if we can get a description of the people or persons that did this and further the investigation," Cuevas said.
Witnesses who were nearby the shooting claim that while they did not hear any of the reported gunshots, they did see a throng of party-goers racing out of the community center to get away from the violence.
"People were asking for help, running and screaming and I told my daughter let's go check out what happened," said Alyah Tactuk.
Leroy, 25, has had several run-ins with the law before. He has been arrested for burglary and grand theft, and most recently for a DUI.
The North Miami Police Department is now urging anyone with knowledge about the murder to step forward. The shooting happened near 16th Avenue and 123rd Street. Nobody else received medical attention or was otherwise hurt during the incident.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
