POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities have released the identities of a victim and suspect involved in a fatal workplace dispute that led to a deputy-involved shooting in Pompano Beach.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene of the shooting near the 3200 block of West Copans Road, at around 11:27 p.m. on Wednesday.
Once deputies arrived, detectives said, they encountered 59-year-old Rafael Molina, armed after fatally shooting his co-worker, 42-year-old Warren Chambers.
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony addressed reporters about the shootings during a news conference held Friday.
“We see that the individual goes into a locker room of some sort, he changes out his clothes, he’s now in civilian attire, and he’s just basically waiting. What we are referencing is ambush him,” said Tony.
According to BSO, Molina waited for Chambers. When the suspect saw the victim him, he pulled out a gun.
“He removed the firearm from the lunchbox, and then, when the victim comes outside of the room, he executes the victim, firing multiple shots at point blank range, puts the victim down,” said Tony. “We looked at the video footage, and the suspect, as we can see, is formulating, contemplating, further planning about what his next move was going to be.”
On Friday, BSO released body camera footage of the encounter and the 911 calls showing the scared employees as they watched their fellow employee shot, plan, and execute another fellow employee.
“We have gunshots fired at the Broward County Transit Facility,” a dispatcher said on the 911 call.
Employees said they were terrified as the suspect went room to room armed with the gun.
“The employee started shooting?” asked the dispatcher.
“Yeah,” said a person.
“Do you know where he is with the gun now?” asked the dispatcher.
“Oh, no. He’s still in there, he’s still in there, he’s still in there, he’s walking around. He has a white shirt on, khaki pants, he’s walking around here, he’s got the gun in his hands,” said the caller.
Cellphone video showed responding deputies guided in by workers, and that’s when, investigators said, the shooter took aim at the deputies.
At one point, an officer even yelled at the shooter.
“What the [expletive] are you doing?” said the officer.
Detectives described how the incident came to an end.
“We witnessed him pull a hammer out and destroy his cellphone. We witnessed him walk and strategically place himself in an ambush position inside of a bus that was vacant,” said Tony.
Tony said BSO deputies showed up and ran toward the bus. Molina then came out with his gun drawn and started shooting at deputies.
“At some point, he fired at deputies, and deputies returned fire,” said BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright.
The gunshots could be heard on a cellphone video obtained by 7News.
“It’s a shootout,” a 911 caller said.
“More gunshots going on now,” another caller said.
Molina fired six times. Deputies responded by firing 49 shots back.
Investigators said three BSO deputies opened fire.
Body cam video shows the gun next to the body of the shooter
“He made his mind up that he was going to die that day or kill as many people, including law enforcement. There were over half a dozen-plus officers on the scene that he fired at,” said Tony.
Molina was later pronounced dead at the scene as a result of the gunfire. No officer was injured.
As of Friday, Molina’s motive remains unclear.
BSO deputies are looking into Molina’s shattered cellphone to see if it sheds any light into his motive.
“The victim had no idea this was coming,” said Tony.
Molina was a longtime employee, working for 16 years in the transit facility. The victim had been with the facility for almost six years.
Both the suspect and the victim were mechanics.
The incident occurred at the end of their shift on Wednesday night. Chambers was clocking out when he was shot at.
The victim’s family is now grappling with the violent lost of their loved one.
The shooting is currently under investigation by BSO’s Crime Scene, Homicide and Internal Affairs units, along with FDLE.
The three deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, following BSO policy, pending further investigation.
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