Ciara Lee, 24, and her two-year-old son were the victims of an all-out assault by high-powered rifle. Police say their home in the Victory Homes housing project in Model City was riddled with bullets shortly after 1 a.m. Lee had worked as a corrections officer at the South Florida Reception Center in Doral for about a year, but police do not have a motive. Update: Police now believe they two were victims of stray bullets from gang or drug-deal related activity.
Their home, at 630 NW 73rd Street, was the only one targeted by the perpetrators. Lee's Uncle, Tony Lee, was also shot in the leg, but survived. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Another woman and two other men in the home were not injured.
"This is ridiculous, my grand-baby and my daughter, both of them dead," Lee's mother Teresa Lee told CBS4. "They say somebody came and shot up the house. I don't know who did it, but I want you all to catch them. That baby didn't ask for this, he was my only grandson."
"Friends of Ciara Lee describe her as a dedicated and highly professional correctional office," Warden David Harris said in a statement. "She is remembered by co-workers as having brought a bright, positive nature to a difficult and dangerous job. Those who knew her describe her wonderful warm smile and say that her radiant spirit always seemed to light up the room."
According to the Herald, Lee supervised inmates in dormitories. It's not known if Lee was targeted for her profession.
Update: According to NBCMiami, police now believe that Lee and her son were the victims of stray bullets stemming from nearby gang or drug deal-related violence. Witness say they heard arguing outside the house before the gunshots rang out.
Here's the full police report.ciaraleereport
[CBS4: Mother, Toddler Killed In Attack]
[Herald: Mother, toddler shot dead inside Model City home]
