Cheer camp dad is a hero after killing gunman in shooting near Florida's Tropical Park, sources say
A father accompanying his child at a Miami-Dade cheer camp Thursday was forced to become a hero when a disgruntled man at a nearby auto mechanic shop decided to shoot a man with a shotgun, sources told The Miami Herald.
Around 1 p.m., parents at Idol Cheer, a cheerleading training camp, saw a man armed with a shotgun shoot what appeared to be an employee at Priced Right Motors, 7321 SW 45th St., sources at the camp said.
Police activity as Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office investigates a shooting near Southwest 75th Avenue and 45th Street. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS)
The unidentified father rushed to the children and frantically searched for somewhere to shelter them. That's when he thought the gunman might open fire at the kids — he pulled out his own gun and shot him before that could happen, sources said. He then promptly rushed the children to safety.
Heavily armed Miami-Dade Sheriff's deputies soon swarmed the warehouse district not far from Tropical Park in response to the shooting. Three people were wounded, including the gunman, who later died, according to a source close to the investigation.
All three were taken to the hospital from the shooting location near Southwest 73rd Avenue and Southwest 45th Street, Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told reporters at a news conference. Cordero-Stutz said that preliminary information indicates one of the people taken to the hospital is the shooter. She added the community should be calm but urged people to avoid the area.
A police officer blocks traffic as Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office investigates a shooting near Southwest 75th Avenue and 45th Street, in the warehouse district south of Bird Road on Thursday, April 24, 2025, Miami. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS)
Deputies did not confirm details on the father at the cheer camp who shot the gunman.
Families gathered, waiting for loved ones near where the shooting took place. At least 23 children from the cheer camp were hunkered down behind crime scene tape, waiting to be reunited with their families. Deputies asked parents to go to 7391 SW 44th St, which has been set up as a reunification center.
Rudy Sorondo's 10-year-old daughter was one of the cheerleaders who heard the shots, her father told the Herald. Sorondo, a strength trainer, was with a client when he heard through the parents' app about a possible active shooter and that the girls were locked down inside the training camp.
'It was madness,' he said, noting that about an hour passed between when the shots were fired and deputies reunited the girls with their parents.
When they did emerge, some of the girls saw people lying on the ground, bleeding. Deputies tried to shield the children's eyes as they walked past the bloodshed.
A police officer stands by as Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office investigates a shooting near Southwest 75th Avenue and 45th Street, in the warehouse district south of Bird Road on Thursday, April 24, 2025, Miami. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS)
'The girls were freaking out. They never saw that much blood, let alone from gunfire,' Sorondo said.
Initial details were sketchy, but a string of squad cars were lined up on Southwest 42nd Street near Southwest 73rd Avenue. Deputies armed with high-powered rifles and wearing tactical vests poured in.
According to the police scanners on Broadcastify, 911 callers reported police were engaged in some sort of shootout near an auto repair center. It wasn't immediately clear how many people might have been hurt in the confrontation.
Several business owners and workers were bewildered by the sudden massive police presence as several armed deputies rushed in with shotguns and high-powered assault rifles.
Manuel, who did not want to give his last name, works at a business just a few feet away from the shooting.
He said he heard at least six shots, but it didn't dawn on him at first what was happening.
'When I took it seriously was when I started seeing people running away,' Manuel said.
A worker at a detail shop in the industrial zone was out for lunch when a coworker frantically texted about the shooting.
'It was like a scene out of a movie,' the worker said of what he saw when he rushed back to the auto body shop. 'There was a big fight a few months ago, but you don't see this around here.'
An employee at a Mercedes-Benz overflow lot, who did not want to be named, heard the rapid gunfire and raced to the commotion to see what was going on.
'If they got the dude, thank God,' he said.
A video shared on the social media platform OnlyinDade captures a chaotic scene as several people watch from inside what appears to be an auto repair shop while loud gunshots ring out nearby. As the shots echo, bystanders scramble for cover while armed law enforcement officers rush around the area, some with their weapons drawn.
The massive response created traffic in the area as Southwest 70th-75th Avenues and Southwest 41st to 48th Street were closed. Bird Road has since reopened.
By 2 p.m., TV footage from the area showed dozens of deputies still searching or gathered near the warehouses.
___
© 2025 Miami Herald.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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