Mother and child hid as man fired into their apartment, police say

MIRAMAR — A man accused of firing at least 19 shots into an apartment while a woman and child were inside also shot a semi-automatic rifle near at least four Miramar police officers, according to court documents.

“The victim and her child had to hide in a closet as multiple shots entered through their home,” Broward Judge Tabitha Blackmon said Wednesday as she read portions of the documents aloud.

Shaheem Smith, 24, who was on pretrial release for a 2019 armed robbery charge, is accused of repeatedly shooting into the apartment, located near 8127 Southwest 21st Court, on Tuesday.

Smith surrendered to police outside his apartment the same day.

When Smith was asked if anyone else was in his apartment, he told them, “You’ll have to go in and look,” the arrest report stated.

It was noted that “a slippery substance was spread all over,” hindering SWAT’s ability to safely clear the apartment.

During a search of Smith’s apartment, police found empty shell casings and a semi-automatic rifle.

No one was injured in the gunfire, but some nearby residents were temporarily evacuated for safety reasons, the report stated. They were allowed to return once Smith was in custody.

According to the report, it all began when Miramar police went to Southwest 21st Court at around 7:32 a.m. on Tuesday after a report of gunfire.

Additonal law enforcement agencies responded to the location, including Miramar police, Pembroke Pines police and Broward Sheriff ’s Office aviation, K9 unit and hostage negotiation team.

Police drove to the New Park Towers apartment complex, east of 2201 Sherman Circle South, where they heard the sound of gunshots coming from east of the apartment complex.

Officers took cover and at least one officer heard a shot whiz past and hit an object behind her, the report said.

As officers were trying to locate the shooter, a 911 call came in from a woman who said bullets were being fired into her apartment through an adjoining wall. She told the operator that she and her young son were hiding in a closet, according to the report.

Shots were fired at two officers from Smith’s balcony, and one SWAT officer said Smith shot in their direction.

The report stated the shooter had a clear view of police as he fired, adding that it was reasonable to believe he was trying to kill the officers.

Smith faces several charges including multiple counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault.

Additional charges of aggravated assault may be filed against Smith, Blackmon said in court Wednesday.

Smith was denied bond and ordered to not contact the woman or come within 1,000 feet of her apartment. He is being held at the Broward Jail.