MIAMI, FL— August 3, 2011 – Officials from the Lauderhill Police Department are on the lookout for a gunman who shot and killed a 34-year-old Coral Springs newlywed and father of three in the parking lot of a Broward County apartment complex. According to information provided by the Orlando Sentinel, the shooting victim was allegedly attempting to “make peace” between two people who were bickering outside the Olive Tree Apartments, located at 2051 NW 43rd Terrace, on June 30.
Reports indicated a man and a woman, both of whom remained unidentified, were arguing over money when Brandon James Lee approached them and tried to calm the quarrel. According to Samuel Preston, who was initially playing a game of cards with Mr. Lee, an unidentified man appeared from around the corner and began shooting just after 12 a.m.
Bystanders contended the gunman seemed to open fire upon suspecting that a certain group of people (who were hanging out on the north side of the complex at the time) had been disrespectful to the woman who was involved in the original dispute over $40. Preston told reporters that Lee suffered a gunshot wound to the back as he tried to run away from the gunman. He then suffered two additional bullet wounds during the Broward County shooting.
Friends of the shooting victim subsequently took him to Florida Medical Center. Lee’s traumatic injuries proved fatal after he was transferred to Broward General Medical Center. Reports note that Lee got married only a couple weeks prior to his death. It did not appear as if any others suffered any wounds during the shootout.
Reports did not specify whether there are surveillance cameras in place or security guards on duty at the Broward apartment complex. Nevertheless, investigations into the fatal South Florida apartment shooting, along with the search for the shooter who fled the scene, were expected to be underway.
Working closely with advocacy groups such as the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), the Miami premises liability attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz have extensive and successful experience representing clients in all areas of security negligence and premises liability law. Having already spent more than three decades litigating a variety of complex injury and assault claims, the South Florida injury attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. will fight to help crime victims obtain the justice a compensation they deserve.
About the Miami injury attorneys and negligent security/premises liability lawyers of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.
When accidents and crimes take place on someone else’s property, that someone needs to take responsibility. Too often, property owners and managers deny their responsibility. At shopping centers, hotels, apartments and condominiums, and all public events, people have a legal right to be reasonably safe from foreseeable harm and criminal victimization.