A security guard who interfered in a fight at a Florida bar was shot dead, and six others were injured.
According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, officers were dispatched to a bar in City Place, Doral, shortly after 3.30 a.m. on Saturday.
Officers from the City of Doral Police Department responded to the call within minutes, and “there was an exchange of gunfire with the subject,” according to MDPD.
Six spectators sustained injuries and a police officer sustained a gunshot during the event.
Both the security guard and the gunman, Jamal Wayne Wood, 37, died at the scene.
The security guard was later identified as George Alejandro Castellanos, age 23.
A GoFundMe page set up in his memory stated that Mr. Castellanos had a one-year-old daughter and was due to graduate from university.
Tragically, an unforeseen and devastating event took George from us far too soon. “His infectious smile and cheerful attitude could brighten any place he came 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.”
According to his relatives, the security guard was pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“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.
On Monday morning, five more patients and the police officer were reported in stable condition, with the remaining injured individual listed in critical condition.
The MDPD said in its statement, “As the investigation is ongoing, it is too early to determine how the bystanders injured.”
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez stated that he was “extremely proud” of his personnel.
“The heroic actions of our police officers today prevented an incident from escalating,” Chief Lopez told reporters on Saturday.
He stated that the police’s intensive training ensured 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 looking into the homicide, with Doral PD participating in both instances.
