Miami Gardens Man on Felon-Gun Probation Accused of Shooting Rival in Face at Goodwill

A fistfight in the parking lot of a Miami Gardens Goodwill Superstore escalated into gunfire Thursday night, leaving one man shot in the face and a 38-year-old felon already on probation for a weapons offense behind bars. Police say Richard Nieves Jr. punched the victim, walked back to his truck, and returned firing.

According to WPLG Local 10, Nieves became involved in a physical altercation with the victim at the Goodwill store at 19300 NW 27th Ave. in Miami Gardens. Investigators say Nieves punched the man, then drove toward the rear of the store in what police believe was a black 2004 Dodge Ram before returning to confront the victim again, this time firing a gun that struck the man in the face. Surveillance video reportedly showed Nieves outside the Goodwill Superstore, which operates as a retail thrift store, donation center, and drive-thru drop-off facility on a major commercial corridor in northern Miami-Dade County, per Goodwill South Florida.

Victim Airlifted to Trauma Center

The wounded man was transported by air ambulance to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, according to the station's report. Aventura Hospital is designated by the Florida Department of Health as a Level II Trauma Center, meaning it maintains round-the-clock surgical teams equipped to handle severe multi-system injuries, per HCA Florida Healthcare. The victim's current condition was not detailed in available reporting.

Police officers arrested Nieves at Miami Gardens Police Department headquarters at 18611 NW 27th Ave., less than a mile south of the Goodwill site, at 10 p.m. Thursday after detaining him for questioning, the outlet reported. Miami-Dade Corrections booked him at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center shortly after 12:45 a.m. Friday, with bond set at $10,000. TGK serves as the county's primary intake and detention facility for adult male inmates, according to Miami-Dade County records.

A Lengthy Criminal History and a Probation Violation

Nieves, who lives in Miami-Dade's Westview neighborhood, now faces a charge of first-degree attempted murder. The station's report notes his criminal record includes convictions for trafficking heroin in 2010, grand theft of a motor vehicle in 2010, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana in 2011, battery in 2015, cocaine possession in 2016, and possession of a firearm, concealed weapon, or ammunition by a felon — the offense for which he was released from prison in 2014 and later placed on probation.

That probation was set to run until June 23, 2028, per Florida Department of Corrections records cited in the same account. Circuit Judge Carlos Humberto Gamez, who sentenced Nieves to probation on the weapons charge, is scheduled to preside over his new case. Gamez was appointed to the Miami-Dade bench by Governor Ron DeSantis in April 2020 and has since won election to the 11th Judicial Circuit Court without appearing on the ballot in 2022 and 2026, according to Ballotpedia.

Steep Legal Exposure Under Florida's Sentencing Laws

Because Nieves was already on probation for a felon-in-possession offense when the new shooting allegedly occurred, he faces both a probation revocation proceeding and mandatory minimum sentencing exposure. Florida's 10-20-Life law, codified at Florida Statute § 775.087, requires a minimum of 25 years to life in prison for discharging a firearm during a felony that results in great bodily harm, according to the Brancato Law Firm.

Attempted first-degree premeditated murder, the charge Nieves now faces under Florida Statutes § 782.04 and § 777.04, is a first-degree felony carrying a potential sentence of up to life imprisonment, per Russo Law. Prosecutors would need to demonstrate deliberate intent and premeditation to secure a conviction on that charge.

Another Entry in a Troubling Local Pattern

The shooting adds to a run of gun violence in Miami Gardens that Hoodline has tracked in recent months, including a case just last week in which a father allegedly shot his own son outside their home before fleeing. In 2024, Miami Gardens recorded 28 homicides, a rate of 11.77 per 100,000 residents that ranked highest among Florida's ten most populous reporting cities, according to FBI Crime Data Explorer figures. Earlier reporting has also documented parking-lot disputes turning deadly, including a July case in which a man was charged after a shooting sparked by an alleged smile snub, and an April incident outside a Checkers restaurant that required a helicopter medical evacuation.

It remains unclear whether prosecutors will move to revoke Nieves's probation before or alongside the new attempted murder charge, or whether additional weapons counts will be filed at arraignment. Mercedes Cevallos, an assignment editor, and reporter Andrea Torres contributed to the original report on the case.