Posted on 06/02/2003 8:59:28 AM PDT by george wythe
A man apparently outraged by his neighbors' loud music and late-night partying opened fire on a Miami Beach birthday bash early Sunday, killing three revelers and wounding two others, police said.
The spray of bullets silenced the celebration for the wife of one of the victims and sent partygoers diving for cover at about 4 a.m., police said.
Among the dead: two young fathers and a Brazilian woman, hit as she stood partying inside unit 1 at Ronna Apartments, a peach-colored, two story building at 501 77th St.
All of the dead were South American immigrants. All died at the scene, their loved ones crying over their bodies. The suspected gunman, Kevin Evers, who lives in an apartment on the second floor of the building, was later arrested in Broward County.
The injured were taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center. They are expected to recover.
Police said they believed ''loud music'' led to the triple slaying that terrorized partygoers. It was unclear whether Evers confronted partygoers over the music before the shooting, but witnesses said there was an argument.
AT LEAST 9 BULLETS
Bright yellow police cones placed by detectives outside the apartment Sunday indicated at least nine bullets tore into the crowd.
Several neighbors said that a woman who was injured had a baby in her arms when she was shot and that the bullet just missed the baby's head and hit her shoulder.
After the shooting, Evers, 41, ran away. He was later arrested at his parents home in Sunrise, police said. Sunday afternoon, Evers was transported back to Miami Beach police headquarters for interrogation. He faces three murder charges and two attempted murder charges. Evers had no serious criminal background in Florida, records indicate.
But there was a trespassing warning issued against him 10 days ago at a Coral Springs shopping mall, police said.
A NEWCOMER
Evers was a newcomer to the building, which has about 10 units. He had been living there with his girlfriend for a short time, police said.
''He came down here, and got into some type of argument,'' said Miami Beach police spokesman Bobby Hernandez, standing outside the building Sunday morning. ``The subject pulls out a gun and started firing off rounds.''
Hernandez called the shootings the first slayings on Miami Beach this year.
Unlike in the south end of Miami Beach, Hernandez said, police do not field many noise complaints from the area where the shooting occurred and none that night. Police said Evers did not call police to complain about the party.
By city ordinance, music should not be audible within 100 feet of a residence after 11 p.m., police said.
Neighbor Fernández, who lived across the street, said that about 1 a.m. she heard Latin music blaring from the ground floor apartment where the party was taking place.
''It was loud,'' said Fernández, who thought it sounded like merengue, a hard-thumping dance music from the Dominican Republic.
After feeding her baby, she said she went to bed and woke up to the sound of gunshots several hours later. ''It was about six shots, one after the other,'' she said. Other neighbors said they heard as many as 10 shots.
NOTICED THE PARTY
Two other neighbors also noticed the party, but didn't recall the music being particularly loud.
''I was sleeping and first I heard screaming, then the shots,'' Nicolás Fernando-López, who lives in the building next door, said. `It must have been 10 or 11. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. A lot.''
When Fernando-López, 40, and other neighbors ran out to see what had happened, one man lay bleeding on the sidewalk, another on the patio of the apartment building. A third person lay over the doorway, Fernando-López said.
Beach police spokesman Hernandez said Evers was acquainted with at least some of the victims.
Hernandez said Evers did not have any prior convictions. He said a store owner in the Broward County mall filed a complaint with police after a tiff with Evers.
WIFE'S BIRTHDAY
Friends said it was Fondovila's wife -- identified as Melina Fondovila -- who was being feted Saturday night. Her birthday was Sunday.
They also said the couple had just celebrated their daughter's first birthday on Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at miami.com ...
Obviously, many responders on this thread have never had to deal with days of lack of sleep.
I was wondering where this was going.
Having experienced that sort of harrasment, justifiable homicide comes to mind.
If I were on his jury facing that charge he would walk.
Temporary insanity should be easy to demonstrate.
Isn't sleep deprivation recognized as a form of torture?
Wasn't there an episode on the Osbourne's where Sharon and Ozzy had some obnoxious Eurotrash neighbors playing Eruotrash music very very loud and Sharon, Ozzy and the kids were trying to do something to make them stop? I think Ozzy threw a ham into a window or meant to throw it into the yard and got a window by mistake.
Most Mexican music really wouldn't get on someones nerves like that awful 70's disco or some of the Latin dance music ----there is something about music that is just very repetitive, where the songs just go on forever and the beat is like some primitive Chinese torture. I once had some Iranian neighbors who would play their music really loud and it was horrible music ---but they didn't play it until 4 am and it wasn't the kind of music that would push you over the edge.
I don't think anyone was really advocating multiple murders ----but I'm sure most of us have at least at some time experienced completely inconsiderate neighbors or even co-workers who almost go out of their way to be very obnoxious and have absolutely no consideration for anyone. Obviously a sane person can control their emotions and rage ---plan out something better to get even than getting themselves locked up in prison for good. It's a known fact that bad music is a good way to push someone who is borderline for some reason right over the edge. Most music at 4 am is bad but if you're exhausted and something has one pounding beat and just never stops it's really bad.
She has called the police. Occasionally they come out, but it continues. Right now the neighbor's kids are out till all hours of the night shooting off fireworks.
I think it has to do with the neighborhood she lives in. Low income, many on welfare and most have no respect for their fellow neighbor. Many don't have to get up and work. My neighborhood is not like that at all. People here are pretty quiet and respectful of each other. My mom doesn't want to move. She likes her house and her huge, park-like yard.
I assume nothing of the kind. Genes have nothing to do with making a person inconsiderate - that is a learned behavior. Genes make a person hispanic, black, asian, white, etc. so your comment about "mowing down the annoying end of the gene pool" would seem to target a particular race or races.
I agree with you that inconsiderate people belong to all races and genders. If that's what you meant to say then you should have worded it better in your post. Regardless of that, the post advocated violence which is forbidden by FR's posting guidelines. The moderator agreed, as the post was removed. We all need to be careful of how we say things when we post here, even in satire, so that FR's reputation isn't tarnished.
Beyond that, your assertion that genes do not affect behavior merely demonstrates your lack of knowledge of the genetic sciences. Go take the time to read up on "Twin Studies" and you will find that you are incorrect.
Then, go to the dollar store and buy yourself a sense of humor.
Who is it that's trying to get a rise out of someone here? Looks like you are. Sorry my friend, it won't work with me.
As for you labeling me a provocateur, you have quite a wild imagination. I've been a registered member of FR since 1998, love the site, and am just looking out for its reputation.
Regarding the gene pool issue, please see my response (#169) to dark_lord.
Coral Springs Police arrested him May 20 outside Coral Square Mall for ''threatening and chasing'' a mall employee. According to his arrest papers, he was barred from the mall for one year. No other details were available about the arrest.In 1995, Las Vegas Metropolitan police charged Evers with first-degree kidnapping with a weapon, robbery with a dangerous weapon and coercion. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, coercion. In return, prosecutors dropped the kidnapping and robbery counts. Details of the case were not available Monday.
Evers was sentenced to three years in prison concurrent with an unrelated charge of discharging a firearm in a structure. Evers was released from prison in March 1997.
Miami Beach police said Evers, who was raised in Queens, was arrested by New York City police in 1982 on charges of false imprisonment and attempted sexual battery. Both counts were eventually dropped.
So is mine. I have never had to ask a neighbor to play down the music since they are extremely considerate.
My mom doesn't want to move.
Too bad.
If I were your mom, I would sell the house to the most obnoxious lowlives I could find in the market and give those inconsiderate neighbors a dose of their own medicine.
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