Gunman dead after killing security guard and wounding six in Florida mass shooting
Jamal Wayne Wood opened fire during an altercation at a bar early Saturday
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A security guard who intervened in an altercation at a Florida bar was shot dead, while six others were also wounded.
Police were called out to a bar in City Place, Doral, just after 3.30am on Saturday, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Officers from the City of Doral Police Department had arrived within minutes of the call and “there was an exchange of gunfire with the subject,” MDPD added.
During the incident, six bystanders were hit, while a police officer was also shot.
The shooter, Jamal Wayne Wood, 37, was killed, along with the security guard, with both pronounced dead at the scene.
The security guard was later identified as George Alejandro Castellanos, 23.
A GoFundMe set up in his memory explained that Mr Castellanos had a one-year-old daughter and was just about to graduate from university.
“Tragically, George was taken from us far too soon due to an unforeseen and devastating event,” the page said. “His infectious smile and uplifting energy had the power to brighten any room he walked into.
“George was on the cusp of achieving his dreams, as he was set to graduate from Florida International University next month with a degree in Biological Science and a minor in Criminal Justice.”
The security guard was taking steps to become a police officer, his family said.
“He was excellent, he would pick up his daughter in the afternoon, bathe her and get her ready so he could go to work,” his mother Jeanina Castellanos told NBC 6 News.
Five of the other victims and the police officer were listed in stable condition, while the other injured person was listed as in critical condition on Monday morning.
“As the investigation is ongoing, it is too early to determine how the bystanders were injured,” MDPD said in its statement.
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez said he was “extremely proud” of his officers’ actions.
“The heroic actions of our police officers today prevented an incident from escalating,” Chief Lopez told reporters on Saturday.
He said that the extensive training carried out by officers meant that they knew how to respond and eliminate the threat.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the police-involved shooting, while the MDPD is investigating the homicide, with Doral PD involved in both cases.