Police said the victim was airlifted in extremely critical condition from a residential block late Thursday afternoon.
FLORIDA CITY, FL — Police are investigating after a man was shot in the head on Thursday in a Florida City neighborhood near the 500 block of Northwest 15th Street, then flown to Jackson South Medical Center in extremely critical condition, authorities said.
Officials said the shooting happened just before 5 p.m. Thursday on a residential stretch a few blocks west of Krome Avenue. Florida City police secured multiple intersections and called in Miami-Dade homicide detectives after learning the victim was not expected to survive. As of late Thursday, investigators had not announced any arrests or released a motive. The block, which includes single-story homes and narrow side streets, remained closed for hours as officers placed evidence markers and canvassed for video. The case lands amid heightened attention on gun violence in southern Miami-Dade County and comes days after a separate fatal shooting in the city.
Responding officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived within minutes of the 4:50 p.m. call, according to police. Neighbors described a chaotic scene as a helicopter circled overhead and paramedics prepared the airlift. Jonathan Osbun, who said he is a former firefighter and lives nearby, told reporters he heard screaming and then saw a white car stop outside his neighbor’s home. “A white car went past my house, stopped and started shooting at my neighbor’s house,” Osbun said, adding that he ran to help. He said he performed CPR on the wounded man until emergency crews arrived and continued lifesaving efforts on the curb.
Police said the man suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. Officers blocked traffic around Northwest 15th Street and kept residents back as detectives photographed shell casings clustered near a corner and collected items from the roadway. Investigators said the man was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center and later listed in extremely critical condition. Late Thursday night, Florida City police said the victim was not expected to survive, and the case was turned over to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau. The agency did not immediately release the man’s name or age, saying next-of-kin notification was still pending. No description of a suspected shooter was available.
Detectives said the gunfire appeared targeted at a specific home on the block rather than random shots into the street. Witnesses told local reporters they saw a vehicle pause and multiple rounds fired toward the residence before it sped away. Several neighbors said they dropped to the floor when they heard the first burst. By dusk, yellow tape sealed off the intersection, and floodlights illuminated a yard where technicians searched grass and driveway cracks. The residential pocket sits south of Homestead and is a mix of longtime homeowners and renters. Officers went door to door seeking security video and collecting statements from residents who were outside when the shots rang out.
Florida City saw a separate deadly shooting earlier in the week, intensifying concern among residents and officials. In that case, one man was killed and another wounded in an incident captured on social media early Tuesday, according to authorities. Thursday’s shooting occurred several blocks from elementary school bus routes and within a short drive of city parks that were closed by evening. Recent Miami-Dade police briefings have emphasized patrol shifts in southern neighborhoods as investigators work overlapping cases. While officials said there is no known link between Thursday’s attack and the earlier incident, the succession of cases has kept homicide teams in the area for much of the week.
After the Thursday shooting, Florida City police requested assistance from county homicide detectives, who took control of interviews and evidence handling late at night. Detectives were expected to examine doorbell camera footage and nearby business surveillance, track ballistic evidence against regional databases, and conduct a neighborhood canvas Friday morning. The Sheriff’s Office said additional updates would be provided when the man’s condition is confirmed and when investigators can identify a suspect or vehicle. No court filings had been made as of early Friday, and authorities had not announced a reward or tip line specific to the case.
Residents returning home Thursday night described a heavy police presence stretching across several blocks. A woman who lives on the corner said she ushered her children into a back room when sirens approached. “It was so fast—bang, bang, bang—and then nothing but sirens,” she said. Another neighbor, who declined to give his name, said he counted at least a dozen evidence markers beside the curb. Osbun said he focused on keeping the victim breathing until help arrived. “He was still breathing at the time. Still had a pulse,” he said.
As of early Friday, police said the victim remained in extremely critical condition and investigators had not released his identity. Detectives planned to continue canvassing the neighborhood and reviewing surveillance video through the morning. Authorities said they would provide the next update after confirming the man’s condition and any leads on a suspect or vehicle.
Author note: Last updated January 2, 2026.