Two persons driving in a car were injured Friday afternoon after at least one gunman fired about forty-five shots in the middle of a crowded West Palm Beach Street.
West Palm Beach police public information officer (PIO) Mike Jachles said it happened just before 1:30 p.m. on 45th Street, just east of Military Trail.
According to Jachles, it started with people in two cars fighting while driving west on 45th Street.
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“Not a road rage dispute,” Jachles said. “This is something where these two parties apparently are known to each other.”
“You just heard pops,” said Dexter Coots, who works in the area. “I looked over and saw the dude standing in the median with one hand, hoodie up, blasting the car. “He pretty much unloaded the mag right there in the median,” said Coots. “I wasn’t ready for it,” “I was talking to a customer, and they just started shooting right there. It was crazy.”
Coots said some people ran for cover in the back of the store while others ran to see what was going on.
“It was like, ‘bang, bang, bang, bang,’” said Michael Junior Morales Mendoza, another witness.
A car was left riddled with bullets and three people were hospitalized Friday afternoon following a shooting in West Palm Beach, Florida. It happened shortly before 1:30 p.m. #Crime #Accident #Shooting #WestPalmBeach #Florida pic.twitter.com/P2JwRO5p1A
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) February 4, 2023
“I was just like, ‘Get away from the doors and windows’ and called 911,” he told 25 WPBF News.
At the same time the bullets were flying, a woman around fifty years old was driving in the opposite direction on 45th Street. For some unknown reason, her vehicle crossed the center line and collided almost head-on with one of the cars in the gunfight.
“At that point, it appears that the suspects or subjects in the vehicle that did not crash got out of the car and opened fire on the other car,” Jachles said.
Police said about 45 shots were fired from at least two weapons.
Police said only the two people in the car were shot; Jachles described their injuries as minor, with one shot in the hand and the other victim in the leg. Police called it a miracle, given how many people were in the area.
“Detectives are still trying to determine if there was an exchange of gunfire or if they were just ambushed like this,” he said. “When you have upwards of 45 rounds, stray bullets can kill,” Jachles said. “And we were very lucky at that time of day on a busy street with many people out; we were very fortunate that nobody else was struck.”
Police have not released the names of the people who were shot but said neither is cooperating in the investigation. I’m shocked.
They also have not released the name of the woman involved in the car crash but did say she was hospitalized with minor injuries.
No arrests have been made in the shootout.
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Police have not yet released a description of the suspects or the car they were driving.
West Palm Beach Police is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 911 or Crimeline.
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