'It was not road rage': Car left riddled with bullets after shooting near 45th and Military Trail
Two people in a car were injured Friday afternoon after at least one gunman fired about 45 shots in the middle of a busy West Palm Beach street.
West Palm Beach police public information officer Mike Jachles said it happened just before 1:30 p.m. on 45th Street, just east of Military Trail.
“You just heard pops,” said Dexter Coots, who works in the area. “Looked over, saw the dude standing in the median with one hand, hoodie up, blasting the car.”
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“It was like, 'bang, bang, bang, bang,'” said Michael Juinor Morales Mendoza, another witness.
“He pretty much unloaded the mag right there in the median,” said Coots.
Jachles said it started with people in two cars fighting with each other as they were driving west on 45th Street.
“Not a road rage dispute,” Jachles said. “This is something where these two parties apparently are known to each other.”
At the same time, a woman around 50 years old was driving in the opposite direction.
For some reason, she crossed the center line and collided with one of the cars in the fight.
“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.
The two people in the car were both hit, one in the hand and one in the leg.
Jachles described their injuries as minor.
“Detectives are still trying to determine if there was an exchange of gunfire or if they were just ambushed like this,” he said.
All of this was happening in the middle of traffic, pedestrians, and businesses.
“I wasn’t ready for it,” Coots said. “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.
“I was just like, ‘Get away from the doors and windows’ and called 911,” he said.
Police said only the the driver in the car was shot, which they called a miracle given how many people were in the area.
“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 a lot of people out, we were very fortunate that nobody else was struck.”
Police have not released the names of the people in the vehicle, but say neither is cooperating in the investigation.
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.
Police have not released a description of the suspects or the car they were driving.
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