A violent altercation outside a popular Allapattah eatery has led to a shooting incident, landing one man in the hospital. The Miami Police reported that on Sunday morning, an argument erupted at the Republica Food & Lounge, according to the Miami Herald. The confrontation quickly escalated, resulting in gunfire.
Following the incident, Miami detectives managed to quickly to identify the accused shooter with the aid of facial recognition software. Francisco Alexis de Leon, a 36-year-old Miramar resident, was asked to leave the restaurant before the shooting occurred, as per details disclosed in an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News.
According to the arrest report, surveillance footage captured de Leon exiting a Toyota Highlander and then firing at the victim with a black handgun. The gun reportedly malfunctioned when de Leon attempted to fire additional shots, prompting him to flee the scene in the aforementioned vehicle. Critically wounded, the victim was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital by witnesses present during the shooting. Reportedly the victim knew the shooter as "Alexis" but professed no knowledge of why he was targeted, stating he had "never interacted with (him) in any way," as noted by Local 10.
De Leon became the prime suspect after detectives matched his likeness using facial recognition technology and he was further linked to the vehicle seen in the video. Upon the victim positively identifying de Leon from a photo lineup, the suspect, alongside an attorney, surrendered to police, choosing to decline to speak with detectives. De Leon, identified as a Dominican national, faces multiple charges, including attempted murder and unlawful discharge of a firearm and is currently held without bond.
