A Miami cheer dad became a hero last week when he shot an active shooter, defending the kids at a cheerleading training camp from the warehouse gunman.
According to Local10 News, the suspect approached the warehouse district on a motorbike. Security footage shows him 30 minutes before the shooting, holding a rifle.
Warehouse Gunman Strikes
The 49-year-old warehouse gunman, identified by police as Roberto Leyva, fired his gun early afternoon on Thursday, last week.
Leyva’s victim? His half-brother, Eduardo Juan Rivero Jr.
Rivero is the owner of Priced Right Motor, a used car dealership where the shooting took place.
Leyva also shot 35-year-old Armando Yadro, another employee for Priced Right Motor.
Lucky the Kids Weren’t There
The dealership is located in a warehouse district frequented by many teens and children. A gym owner, John Todaro, next door to the shooting, told WSVN he felt the timing was lucky.
“It’s mostly athletic-based businesses. We’re geared toward kids. It’s all kids in that complex that we train. Thankfully, this incident happened before our clients got there,” Todaro said.
Dad Saves The Day
Also near the dealership, over 20 young girls were at cheerleader camp. One dad saw the shooting and said his first instinct was to make sure the kids were safe.
According to American Military News, the dad thought the warehouse gunman might shoot the children next. He pulled out a gun of his own and shot Leyva, effectively stopping the shooting.
The girls and parents at the cheer camp told reporters that the experience was surreal.
“A lady that worked there came to us and told us to get to the wall, and that’s what we did,” one young girl said.
“Just to see their little faces, it was just scary, like the reality of it, like, oh, my God,” the young girl’s mother added.
Scared Neighbors
Police rushed to the scene, with armor and guns, because of the active shooter situation. The police presence tipped off neighbors and business owners who were unsure of what had happened.
“I wasn’t that scared because I didn’t know there was a shooting, but once we found out, I was a little scared,” a witness said.
Police rushed the shooter and his two victims to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. Rivero passed away in the hospital.
Warehouse Gunman Facing Charges
The family members of Rivero and Leyva are grieving right now. “I lost 2 brothers,” Rivero’s sister told CBS. With Rivero dead, Leyva, currently in critical condition in the hospital, faces potential homicide charges.
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Only the three men seem to have been injured during the shooting. The warehouse gunman did not hurt any of the children at the cheer camp or nearby business owners.
Local police assure those in the warehouse district that everything is fine.
“We want the community to know that right now, there is no imminent threat. This is an active scene,” said MDSO Sheriff Rosie Cordero Stutz.
Police are still investigating the case.
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