Family dispute ends in shootout near Tropical Park that kills 1, injures 2: deputies (2025)

A heated family dispute at a Miami-Dade auto mechanic shop Thursday afternoon near Tropical Park ended in a shootout that killed one person and injured two others, including the gunman. A nearby cheer camp filled with children was forced to hunker down as a stream of gunfire went off, deputies say.

Around 1 p.m., the gunman, identified by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office on Friday as Roberto Levya, 49, went to a mechanic shop, believed to be Priced Right Motors, to shoot his half-brother, 34-year-old Eduardo Juan Rivero. Rivero is the listed president of Priced Right Motors, according to Florida Sunbiz.

The shooting involved an “ongoing family dispute,” Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told reporters at a news conference on Thursday night.

When Levya got to the shop, a fight began. During it, he shot his half-brother and another person identified as Armando Yadro Alea,35, according to the sheriff’s office.

Heavily armed MDSO deputies soon swarmed the warehouse district not far from Tropical Park in response to the shooting, Cordero-Stutz said.

A shootout unfolded between deputies and the gunman. No deputies were injured; it’s also unclear who shot Levya. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating that aspect of the case.

The FDLE released a statement Friday saying its “investigation is limited to the deputies’ use of force.”

“Currently, our agents are on scene conducting witness and deputy interviews and reviewing all evidence,” the agency said. “The case remains active and all information is considered preliminary, therefore additional information will not be provided.”

Authorities said they found a long rifle and a pistol after the shooting.

Levya, his half-brother, Rivero and Yadro Alea were all taken to the hospital. Rivero died from his wounds. Levya remains in critical condition as of Friday and Yadro Alea is in stable condition, according to authorities.

“This unfortunate situation is domestic-related and not a random act of violence,” Cordero-Stutz said. “We are very grateful that there were not more or additional victims due to this situation, and that our deputies were not injured....”

Kids cheer camp locked down for hours

Families gathered, waiting for loved ones near where the shooting took place. At least 23 children from the cheer camp were hunkered down behind crime scene tape, waiting to be reunited with their families.

Rudy Sorondo’s 10-year-old daughter was one of the cheerleaders who heard the shots, her father told the Herald. Sorondo, a strength trainer, was with a client when he heard through the parents’ app about a possible active shooter and that the girls were locked down inside the training camp.

“It was madness,” he said, noting that about an hour passed between when the shots were fired and deputies reunited the girls with their parents.

Karen Baez-Wallis was with her daughter inside Idol Cheer preparing for a national competition when they heard the rapid-fire gunshots outside. Camp staff worked quickly to close the doors and huddle all the children into a safe corner, moving lockers for extra protection.

The parents and children were huddled inside the building for over four hours as deputies worked the aftermath of the shooting. Baez-Wallis said the deputies consistently checked in on the children to make sure they were doing alright.

“They stayed with us. They reassured us,” she said. “They tried to make the best of a bad situation.

When they did emerge, some of the girls saw people lying on the ground, bleeding, Sorondo said. A bullet hole could be seen just under the Idol Cheer sign. Deputies tried to shield the children’s eyes as they walked past the bloodshed.

“The girls were freaking out. They never saw that much blood, let alone from gunfire,” Sorondo said.

Businesses shell-shocked by rapid gunfire

Several business owners and workers were bewildered by the sudden massive police presence as several armed deputies rushed in with shotguns and high-powered assault rifles.

Manuel, who did not want to give his last name, works at a business just a few feet away from the shooting.

He said he heard at least six shots, but it didn’t dawn on him at first what was happening.

“When I took it seriously was when I started seeing people running away,” Manuel said.

A worker at a detail shop in the industrial zone was out for lunch when a coworker frantically texted about the shooting.

“It was like a scene out of a movie,” the worker said of what he saw when he rushed back to the auto body shop. “There was a big fight a few months ago, but you don’t see this around here.”

An employee at a Mercedes-Benz overflow lot, who did not want to be named, heard the rapid gunfire and raced to the commotion to see what was going on.

“If they got the dude, thank God,” he said.

A video shared on the social media platform OnlyinDade captures a chaotic scene as several people watch from inside what appears to be an auto repair shop while loud gunshots ring out nearby. As the shots echo, bystanders scramble for cover while armed law enforcement officers rush around the area, some with their weapons drawn.

Correction: The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office clarified that previous updates from the Miami Herald noting a source saying a father of one of the cheer camp students shot the gunman, and that he was killed, were inaccurate.

This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 1:59 PM.