Miami Gardens Police Chief puts the blame on the 'Unforgettable' hitmaker and co. for failing to obtain permits for the music video filming, but the rapper has denied that he was shooting a video when the gunfire happened.
- Jan 9, 2023
AceShowbiz - French Montana has been blamed for a recent Miami Gardens shooting that left 10 people injured. Miami Gardens' police chief has blasted the Morocco-born star for not securing permits for his alleged music video production that turned into a bloody scene when a gunfire broke.
In a statement issued on late Friday, January 6, Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt claimed the lack of security measure during the music video filming led to the violence and chaos. "Investigations so far have revealed that the necessary permits were not obtained by the organizers of the music video production," the statement read in part. "The City's policy requires a permit application and the appropriate law enforcement detail to be secured for these types of activities."
"As a result of this disregard of the procedures, the unauthorized music video production led to an unfortunate situation," the police chief continued. He added, "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."
Initial reports said that French and Rob49 were filming music video outside The Licking restaurant on Thursday night when the shooting happened. An eyewitness said it all happened after a fan, who came to watch the star, was allegedly robbed of their watch and wallet, and it then escalated into a shooting.
"It was like at least 13, 14, 15 gunshots," a man called Ced Mogul told WSVN. "It was very rapid, it sounded like an assault rifle. I took off running, and I was looking back, but I was like, 'You know what? Let me just duck first.' And then people started asking me, you know, 'Can you help me?' When I realized people were asking for help, there was nothing you could do about it when you got shot."
Among those watching the video shoot was Wilmark Baez, who said his low-rider and two of his dogs were part of the production. "All of a sudden, 'pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow,' and that's when everybody started running," he recalled.
Cellphone video recorded by Wilmark captured the immediate aftermath. "There were three bodies on the floor laid out, and there were two other people walking around shot," he recounted. A total of 10 people were injured in the incident, including Rob49, but no fatalities were reported.
After the shots rang out, French and his team ducked out for safety at a nearby KFC restaurant. A video obtained by TMZ shows the 38-year-old and his entourage standing and peering outside toward the scene. He reportedly stayed inside the restaurant for 30 to 40 minutes, while cops arrived and victims were taken to the hospital.
Contrary to the police's claims and witnesses' statements, French has said that he was actually at the restaurant to celebrate the release of his new mixtape "Coke Boys 6" and not shooting a music video. "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant," he said in the statement posted on Twitter hours after the incident. "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."
