Two police officers were shot in Miami on Thursday morning, and the suspected gunman was found dead inside a home following a standoff, authorities said.
Cops identified Mason Triana, 27, as the shooter, the Miami Herald reported. It’s unclear if Triana died from a self-inflicted gunshot or was mortally wounded in a shootout with police.
The incident began when two officers responded to a report of an abandoned car in the middle of an intersection, said Miami Police Chief Manny Morales. Just as the officers called for a tow truck, there came a report of gunfire nearby. Cops traveled to the scene, where they found a bullet-riddled vehicle.
Shortly after they arrived at that vehicle, Triana opened fire on two cops from a home, striking one in the knee and the other in the ankle, Morales said. Both officers, identified only as a man and a woman, are in stable condition.
“They’re in good spirits,” Morales said. “I went to the hospital, and I spoke with both of them. Incredibly calm. I am absolutely proud of the officers that were on the scene.”
The shooting triggered a massive law enforcement response to the home. At one point, Triana emerged with a rifle and engaged the surrounding cops in a brief shootout, Morales said. No officers were wounded in that firefight.
Amid the hours-long standoff, police eventually sent a drone into the home and found the suspect down, cops said. SWAT officers then entered the home and discovered Triana dead from a gunshot wound.
While the exact details of what sparked the violence is unclear, Morales said the abandoned vehicle and initial gunfire involved a family dispute. Triana’s brother has been cooperating with police, local ABC affiliate WSVN reported.