The woman was shot just before midnight in Little Havana and later died at a hospital, authorities said.
MIAMI, FL — A woman was shot just before midnight Saturday in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood and died at a hospital, city police said Sunday. Officers were called around 11:50 p.m. to the area near Southwest Third Street and 18th Avenue, where they found the victim with at least one gunshot wound.
Police said medics took the woman to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead. Detectives worked through the early morning hours to collect shell casings and canvass the block for witnesses and security video. The woman’s name was being withheld pending notification of relatives. Investigators did not immediately release information about a suspect or motive. The shooting drew officers from patrol and homicide units as the department began its weekend response to a fatal case in a dense residential corridor just west of downtown.
Officers responded within minutes of 11:50 p.m. after calls reporting gunfire on the 1800 block off Southwest Third Court, according to police. Yellow evidence markers dotted the pavement as technicians photographed the street and sidewalks. “The investigation is ongoing,” Miami Police said in a brief update early Sunday. Detectives interviewed residents who said they heard several sharp cracks and then a car speeding away, though police have not confirmed whether a vehicle is connected. A small crowd gathered behind crime-scene tape while crews worked past sunrise, and officers asked anyone with information to speak with investigators at the scene.
Police did not release the victim’s age or hometown as of Sunday afternoon. The exact number of shots fired remained unclear, and detectives were still determining whether the shooting happened curbside or within a nearby courtyard. Miami Fire Rescue crews reported the woman was alive when transported, but she died shortly after arrival at the trauma center. The block includes low-rise apartments and corner storefronts common to Little Havana, and investigators checked nearby buildings for cameras that might have captured the moments before or after the gunfire. Detectives also planned to review 911 recordings to establish the sequence of calls.
Little Havana is a tight grid of streets where weekend foot traffic often runs late, especially near Southwest Eighth Street. The shooting area sits a few blocks north, in a residential pocket that has seen sporadic incidents but is typically quiet overnight, neighbors said in past interviews about the area. Miami police routinely cite private security footage as a key tool in clearing shootings citywide, which is why canvassing nearby storefronts and apartment complexes is a standard early step. Fatal shootings in Miami often move from patrol response to formal homicide investigations within hours, with a public identification following once next of kin are told.
By Sunday, the case had been turned over to homicide detectives, who were processing evidence and preparing any search warrants needed for phones, vehicles or residences linked to the scene. Officials had not announced an arrest. If charges are filed, they typically appear first on county jail logs and later in a probable cause affidavit. Police said additional updates would come when the medical examiner confirms the woman’s identity and cause of death. Authorities could hold a briefing if a suspect is named or arrested, or if investigators need to publicly release surveillance images to seek leads.
Residents walking dogs and heading to morning Mass watched officers wrap up measurements and pack plastic bins into vans. A man who lives on the block said he awoke to sirens and saw flashing lights from his window. Another passerby described the street as “usually calm” late at night except for the occasional car rolling through for parking. As crews lifted the tape, technicians scraped residue samples from a wall and logged them before leaving. Officers left a mobile light tower in place while detectives finished photographing the sidewalk and curb line.
As of Sunday evening, police had not released the woman’s name, and no suspect information had been announced. Detectives are expected to provide the next update after notifying relatives and reviewing overnight tips. The medical examiner’s findings and any surveillance footage review are likely to set the next milestone in the case.
Author note: Last updated December 28, 2025.