A quick Target stop in Aventura turned tense Wednesday afternoon when, according to police, a 42-year-old woman pulled a handgun from her purse and threatened another driver in the store’s parking lot on Biscayne Boulevard. The other driver stayed inside her vehicle, called 911 and officers detained the suspect as she was leaving the store.
Aventura officers identified the suspect as Kiara Johnson of Hollywood and said the confrontation unfolded around 1:55 p.m., according to WPLG Local 10. The victim told police she had just backed into a space when Johnson parked next to her. An arrest form quoted Johnson as taking a firearm from her purse and saying, “I got that s--- on me.” The victim left the area and called 911 before officers arrived.
Charges, processing and state law
Johnson was booked on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm, a felony that Florida law generally treats as a third-degree offense. Florida Statutes define aggravated assault as an assault “with a deadly weapon without intent to kill” and provide penalties that can include up to five years in prison; enhanced minimums can apply when firearms are used. Arrested people in Miami-Dade are typically processed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, per Miami-Dade Corrections.
Police account and next steps
According to WPLG Local 10, the victim described the handgun as black with yellow or orange markings and told officers she drove out of the lot after the encounter. Police said a records check found no registration for the firearm. Johnson was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at about 5:10 p.m. Wednesday and was being held on a $5,500 bond, according to corrections records. The case will be reviewed by prosecutors as investigators follow up.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is asked to contact Aventura police or Miami-Dade authorities so investigators can complete their work.
