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Our edit studio on Collins Avenue got hit overnight.

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MIAMI (AP) - The spray of bullets that killed a police officer and hurt three others this week came from something increasingly common on this city’s streets: a high-powered assault weapon, fast becoming the gun of choice for gang members and violent criminals.

Federal officials don’t compile statistics on the number of crimes involving assault weapons like the AK-47, and municipalities’ numbers across the country are patchwork. But in Miami, at least, there are signs it is becoming a major problem.

“We’ve noticed an increase in the amount of assault weapons that we’ve seen on the street, and certainly the amount that have been used in murders and other shootings,” said Detective Delrish Moss. “And it seems to be increasing every year.”

The rising number of deaths by assault weapons reflects growing availability of the weapons and their elevation to a status symbol among gang members, said Carlos Baixauli, an agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“In the early ’80s to ’90s, it was more common to have a handgun in your waistband and the bigger the caliber, the more powerful you were,” Baixauli said. “Now it’s escalated to the assault weapons.”

Another issue potentially at play is the 2004 expiration of the federal assault weapons ban, 10 years after its passage. The legislation outlawed 19 types of guns, including the semiautomatic AK-47.

The guns are readily available on streets, Baixauli said, or can be ordered by mail for under $200.

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via AllCanes:

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Mass Appeal #46:

ALTERED STATE: Now that Tony Montana is on pajamas, it’s time to let his fairytale sleep. Rakontur’s documentaries deliver Florida’s raw, rugged and rich to your home. For real.

Right-click here to download PDF version

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via The Miami Herald:

Two men were shot dead early Monday morning in South Beach, marking the city’s first two homicides of the year and marring what had been a relatively uneventful holiday weekend.

Miami Beach Lt. Charlie Weaver heard shots ring out about 5:45 a.m.

He found a crowd — and two men shot in the parking lot outside David’s Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Ave.

One man, shot multiple times, was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died, said Miami Sgt. Robert Hernandez, a police spokesman.

The other man, shot once, died on the sidewalk underneath a stop sign for the municipal parking lot next to the popular Cuban eatery.

previously on David’s Cafe

UPDATE 7:51PM - raw video from scene via The Miami Herald

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Miami Home Riddled With Bullets In Drive-By

MIAMI — A home in Miami was riddled with dozens of bullets over the weekend in an apparent drive-by shooting.

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