Two men were injured in a shooting early Sunday morning near Second Avenue and 60th Street in Miami, police said.
According to the Miami Police Department, the shooting happened around 12:40 a.m., sending gunfire through the neighborhood and disrupting nearby businesses.
Several businesses remained closed as crime scene tape blocked entrances while investigators worked the area. Authorities shut down Second Avenue between 59th and 61st streets for much of the morning.
Residents said they heard multiple gunshots and saw people rushing to help one of the victims.
“I saw people trying to go toward… there was a man on the ground and someone on the phone, apparently calling for help,” a neighbor said.
Another resident, Eddy Hagan, said the sound of gunfire frightened people in the area.
“I was scared to go outside. There were a lot of people in the street, and it was frightening because I knew what that was,” Hagan said.
The shooting also affected local workers. Christopher Bedard said he was unable to enter his workplace because police had sealed off the area.
Bedard, who prepares meals for addiction treatment centers, said he had to wait outside for hours and ultimately could not work that morning.
“A cop told me, ‘Nope, you can’t work today,’” Bedard said, adding that dozens of people who rely on those meals went without breakfast.
Community leaders said the incident could negatively impact ongoing efforts to strengthen the neighborhood in Little Haiti.
Ashley Toussaint of the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust said violence can undermine attempts to attract businesses and residents to the area.
Police have not released the names of the victims and have not said what led to the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.