Miami police have reportedly arrested a 73-year-old man suspected of shooting a person and starting a fire in an apartment building that affected 40 tenants Monday.
The authorities explained that they were called to the Temple Court Apartments complex before finding a man inside the building who had been shot, according to CBS News. The victim is reportedly being treated for critical injuries.
Mayor Francis Suarez said the fire was reported to the authorities at about 8:15 a.m., the outlet reported. “We arrived on the scene, we found that one person had been shot. That person was transported to JMH (Jackson Memorial Hospital). At the same time, our firefighters responded to this fire and saw that this fire was escalating in intensity,” the mayor reportedly added.
Four others required medical assistance, including three firefighters who were taken to the hospital and a renter suffering from smoke inhalation, Miami Fire Rescue said, according to the outlet. (RELATED: ‘The Bullets Were Flying’: Video Appears To Show Gunman In Suburban Shootout)
Over 40 residents, most of whom were elderly, were reportedly rescued from the fire, according to authorities.
At 8:15am, #mfr was dispatched to a residential structure fire at 431 NW 3 Street. Currently, we are still working a 3 alarm fire. On arrival, multiple residents were rescued and evacuated. They are now being assisted by @RedCross and @MiamiPD. More updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/HdVvZWH29D
— Miami Fire Rescue (@CityofMiamiFire) June 10, 2024
Later on Monday, law enforcement told CBS News Miami they had arrested Juan Francisco Figueroa in connection with the shooting and the fire. The suspect allegedly quarreled with an employee at the apartment complex before shooting him and starting the fire, according to sources, CBS News reported. He reportedly faces charges of attempted murder and arson in the first-degree.
Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters realized the fire was too intense to extinguish from the inside, which prompted them to evacuate the building, the mayor said, according to ABC News.
“The fire is continuing,” Suarez told reporters on Monday morning, the outlet reported. “Now they have come outside the building to fight from the outside in.”
