Police say 19-year-old Christian Corea died as two others were wounded during Tuesday night gunfire at a Sunoco on Pembroke Road.
MIRAMAR, FL — A mother is mourning her 19-year-old son after a triple shooting Tuesday around 8:30 p.m. at a Sunoco gas station near Pembroke Road and DeSoto Boulevard, where surveillance video captured an argument that quickly escalated into gunfire, leaving one person dead and two others injured, according to Miramar officials.
Authorities on Wednesday identified the man killed as Christian Corea, 19, of Broward County. Police said one of the wounded was involved in the exchange and fled before being driven to a hospital by a family member, while an innocent bystander working on a nearby vehicle was struck and is expected to survive. Investigators released portions of surveillance footage showing several men speaking beside a Mercedes at the pumps moments before shots were fired. The case remains an active investigation as detectives seek additional witnesses and the person who ran from the scene. The shooting unfolded a short drive from North Perry Airport and prompted a large police response that extended into nearby blocks.
Video from the station shows three men greeting one another and then drawing weapons near the Mercedes sedan as customers moved about the lot. Evidence markers later dotted the concrete around the pumps, and yellow tape cordoned off the vehicle. Witnesses reported hearing eight to ten shots. “We heard like eight to ten gunfire shots,” one man said at the scene. “We saw a guy wearing all black run down the street.” City spokesperson Janice McIntosh said investigators believe another person left the area and “could assist” with the case. Officers and a SWAT team searched a home a few blocks away on Wednesday but did not locate the person they were seeking. Overnight, crime scene technicians collected shell casings and canvassed for more video from surrounding businesses.
Police said Corea died at the scene. The injured bystander, who had been working on a car outside an adjacent convenience store, was hit in the thigh by a stray round, according to the store’s owner, who spent the afternoon cleaning up and described the man as a regular customer. The second wounded person, described by officials as one of the men involved in the shootout, left before police arrived and was later taken by relatives for treatment. Investigators have not announced arrests, specific charges, or the number of firearms recovered. They also have not released the exact number of shots fired, any ballistics matches, or a detailed account of who fired first. Detectives are reviewing multiple camera angles from the Sunoco and neighboring businesses to map the sequence of events and identify all participants.
Corea’s mother, Jennifer Mercedes, spoke Wednesday about her son, saying he had recently embraced his faith, hoped to become a firefighter and was expecting a child this year. “There’s no words that any mother could describe what it is to lose a child,” Mercedes said, adding that she was “speechless” and “still in shock.” She said her son was loving and protective, and that the family is leaning on one another while they wait for answers. Family photos released by relatives show Corea smiling in casual clothes; relatives said he spent recent holidays with extended family in South Florida. Friends posted condolences online throughout the day, many recalling him as a quiet teenager who grew more outgoing after high school.
The Sunoco sits along a busy stretch of Pembroke Road near residential neighborhoods, auto shops and the edge of North Perry Airport. Miramar has seen several high-profile shootings in recent years, including incidents in shopping plazas and along major corridors, often drawing large multi-agency responses. Business owners said the Tuesday shooting unfolded quickly during a steady evening crowd at the pumps. The store owner next door, Mohammed Chowdhury, said his security video showed the bystander turning to look as shots rang out and then limping away. He described the aftermath as chaotic, with drivers ducking behind vehicles and employees sheltering inside until officers arrived.
Miramar police said detectives are still piecing together the motive and the relationships among those seen in the video. As of Wednesday evening, no arrests had been announced. Investigators said they are working to locate a man who ran from the gas station shortly after the gunfire and to interview the wounded participant once his condition allows. Officials said updates would be provided when investigators are ready to release more details. If charges are filed, they would be processed through Broward County courts, with an initial appearance likely to follow within 24 hours of booking. Police did not set a timeline for when a fuller account of the shooting, including ballistics findings and any recovered weapons, might be released.
Neighbors filtered past the taped-off pumps on Wednesday, pausing to watch workers scrub the pavement. A young man in a work shirt shook his head and said he had heard “pops like fireworks” from a nearby shop. Drivers pulled in, then turned around at the roadblock. “I feel very bad because the customer is a good guy,” Chowdhury said of the bystander. “He just fixed the car, and then he said, ‘Oh, I’m shot.’” As evening fell, a few candles and flowers appeared near a light pole beside the lot. Corea’s relatives said they plan a vigil later this week and asked friends to remember him as a son and soon-to-be father.
As of Wednesday night, police continued reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses. The bystander remained hospitalized in stable condition, and the second wounded man was receiving treatment. Investigators said the next update is expected after new interviews and evidence reviews later this week.
Author note: Last updated January 7, 2026.