Guard shot dead at Dadeland Mall in armored car holdup: Police are seeking two suspects after an armored-car guard was fatally shot inside a store at Dadeland Mall.

Dec 01, 2008 (The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- FD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Robbers fatally shot an armored-car guard inside a clothing store at Dadeland Mall Monday morning.

Miami-Dade homicide investigators spent the rest of the day interviewing customers and employees who were at the Express and Limited stores during the 11:15 a.m. shooting.

"It was eight shots. I heard them all. It was very scary. I'm still shaken up," said Joanne Brown, who was shopping inside the Limited when the shooting happened next door at Express.

Brown, who said she had a flight to catch to the Cayman Islands, had to wait inside yellow police tape until investigators cleared her to leave -- with her Limited bags in tow -- at 12:15 p.m.

Holiday shopping continued throughout the mall, which remained open except for a small area around the Limited and Express.

Beatrice Gonzalez spent Monday morning shopping a few yards away at Macy's and Ann Taylor but had no idea of the shooting until she walked out to her car and found the garage she parked in was blocked off by crime-scene tape.

"The security guard said I can't leave until the police are finished, and he didn't know how long it would be," Gonzalez said, her hands full with shopping bags.

She said a mall shooting during the busy holiday season was frightening but acknowledged it could have happened anywhere.

"It's not that Miami is any safer or more dangerous than other places," Gonzalez said. "But these days, I don't think anywhere is perfectly safe anymore."

A red Dunbar armored car remained parked outside the Kendall mall's south side. A Dunbar spokesman said Monday evening the company was offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Police said to call Crime Stoppers: 305-471-8477.

The guard was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died. Police did not release the victim's name, saying they were waiting until his family could be notified.

Detectives offered few details about the incident, other than to say investigators are seeking two men dressed in dark clothing. The men were seen running from the mall with a money bag.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim, his family and friends. We have no further information at this time," mall officials said in a prepared statement.

A bulletin issued on police scanners told officers to be on the lookout for a cream-colored 2000 Lincoln sedan, Florida tag L83AY. One suspect was a thin, black, 5-foot-10 man, with a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, boots and a silver handgun. The other had a heavier build and wore a dark-blue hoodie.

Jennie Block of Coral Gables was inside the Limited Too shopping with a friend's daughter when the shooting happened.

"I said for everyone to get down, take cover," Block said. "There were about eight or 10 gunshots, rapid fire. It was clear at that point the shooters or whoever had run away."

Though scared, Block said she wasn't too fazed by the shooting: She and her friend's daughter went to the Limited Too at the Falls Shopping Center to continue their search for deals.

Miami Herald staff writer Jose Pagliery and photographer Tim Chapman contributed to this report.

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