A gunman shot two people at the Equinox gym at the Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables at about 1 p.m. on Saturday. The gunman was identified as a former gym employee at the facility. He opened fire in the gym and critically wounded a manager and another person before killing himself.
The manager was taken to hospital where he later died. Reports from the Miami-Dade police said the second victim was in critical condition at a hospital. A Miami-Dade police detective known as Alvaro Zabaleta revealed that a managerial dispute with the ex-employee may have triggered the shooting.
The shooter was identified by Former Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff as Abeku Wilson and the two victims as Janine Ackerman and Mario Hortis. Ackerman was a manager at the gym and Hortis was a trainer.
The Former Miami Commissioner said he was shocked and described Wilson as a very nice guy. He revealed that Wilson was a trainer at the gym and had trained him and his wife.
Javy Rodriguez who is a former Miami baseball standout said he was inside the gym and working out when the shots started. Rodriguez wrote on Facebook that he ran to safety after the shooting started, adding that He also helped others get out of the building.
The workers at Equinox were praised by Rodriguez who revealed that they did an amazing job by calmly getting out of the building.
The incident drew more than a dozen firetrucks and police cars that were seen outside the mall for hours after the shooting. SWAT was also at the scene. The employees of other stores and restaurants were seen leaving about an hour after the shooting, once the scene was secure.
Equinox gym released a statement saying that it was working with authorities concerning the shooting incident. The facility also said that it was dedicating thoughts and prayers to the families impacted by the tragedy. Equinox also said that it would not comment further until it was appropriate.
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