French Montana says he was at gathering near Miami strip mall shooting

Staff and wire reports
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Gunfire erupted in a South Florida strip mall parking lot near where rapper French Montana was allegedly filming a music video late Thursday, leaving several wounded. He was not injured.

Montana tweeted about the incident Friday, describing the gathering as a celebration for his latest mixtape and calling the situation a "wrong place, at the wrong time" circumstance.

"Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant," Montana wrote. "We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

USA TODAY has reached out to Miami Gardens police for more information on the victims' injuries.

French Montana confirms he was at the Miami Gardens shooting, says it was a "wrong place, at the wrong time" situation.
French Montana confirms he was at the Miami Gardens shooting, says it was a "wrong place, at the wrong time" situation.

Investigators were looking into reports that a video was being shot at the restaurant, Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt said Friday.

More: Multiple people injured in shooting outside Miami Gardens restaurant, authorities say

“We believe it’s an isolated incident,” Noel-Pratt said.

Miami Gardens police spokesperson Diana Gourgue told reporters that she could not confirm reports that as many as 10 people had been wounded, saying “right now it is just multiple victims that were injured.”

Bullet holes and broken glass are seen on a car being towed from the restaurant "The Licking" where a shooting investigation is being held in Miami Gardens, Florida, Miami, on January 5, 2023. - Multiple people were shot Thursday night outside of a Miami Gardens restaurant during a video shoot for rappers French Montana and Rob49. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_336K8KA.jpg

A large crowd had gathered outside the restaurant at the time of the shooting, Gourgue said. The condition of those hurt was unknown, but there were not any fatalities.

Miami rapper CED Mogul told reporters that the shooting happened after someone had their Rolex watch and car keys stolen. He said the video was supposed to be shot at a nearby KFC restaurant, but was moved after an altercation. The city’s police chief told reporters that the video’s producers had not gotten the necessary permits.

Friday evening Chief Noel-Pratt released a statement calling the situation a "senseless tragedy" and added that permits required by the city were "not obtained by the organizers" which led "to an unfortunate situation."

Health update: French Montana has left the ICU, the rapper revealed on Thanksgiving

"If the necessary agencies were notified ahead of time and protocol followed, Police Officers would have been in place to safeguard the community and assist with deterring and responding, if needed, to any situation that may arise," Pratt wrote.

French Montana was shot in the head and seriously wounded in 2003 when two gunmen opened fire outside a New York City recording studio. One of the gunmen accidentally shot the other, killing him.

French Montana, who was born in Morocco and whose real name is Karim Kharbouch, is best known for his 2017 album “Jungle Rules” and its lead single “Unforgettable,” which made the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

Contributing: Elise Brisco, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: French Montana says he was at gathering near Miami shooting