Gunfire shattered the calm of a quiet Broward County neighborhood lined with million-dollar homes Tuesday evening, leading to the arrest of a suspect, the recovery of multiple firearms and the discovery of illegal drugs, officials said.
The city’s chief administrative officer confirmed several weapons were seized at the scene. Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument and they arrested 26-year-old Trayvon Forrest of Lauderhill on charges of discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
Property records show the house is valued at $2.6 million and is located just north of Broward Boulevard at Northwest 120th Avenue. Listings show the home rents for $24,995 a month.
Shots fired in high-end neighborhood
CBS News Miami
Neighbor Michael Ament said he was alarmed when he saw bullet holes in one of the home’s windows.
“This kind of shooting makes the neighborhood unsafe,” Ament said. “Very big concerns. Shots outside the house. Children around here. Dogs around here. I don’t like that. This is a safety concern.”
“We have never had a shooting at this place in this community,” Ament said.
Officials call shooting “completely unacceptable”
Jason Nunemaker, the city’s chief administrative officer, called the incident deeply troubling.
“It is very unfortunate. It is lucky no one was hurt,” Nunemaker said. “Shots were fired in a residential neighborhood and it is completely unacceptable. We had 19 people detained and multiple firearms recovered.”
Police said many people ran from the home after the gunfire. Those who were targeted have not cooperated with the investigation.
Concerns over rental properties
Ament expressed frustration over how the property is managed.
“He doesn’t care and this proves it. He doesn’t vet his people,” he said.
Nunemaker echoed concerns about short-term or poorly regulated rentals.
“We can’t prevent these from happening,” he said. “But these uses are wholly incompatible with residential neighborhoods. Nobody buys a single-family home like this to live next to a motel, and what we are faced with is they don’t care who they are renting to.”
City promises tougher oversight
Nunemaker said the city is taking a more aggressive stance on enforcement.
“We were being aggressive during inspections,” he said. “We are being aggressive if they are not licensed.”
Investigation continues; most fled after shooting
Plantation Police said they have not identified a motive. Most of the people at the home fled after the shooting. Those who remained were detained for questioning.
Forrest was also charged with driving with an expired license.
Authorities have requested surveillance video from the area as the investigation continues.
