Authorities in Miami are piecing together the timeline of events that drove a trainer at a Coral Gables gym to open fire Saturday on two managers who had apparently fired him earlier in the day.
One of the victims in the rampage was 35-year-old Janine Ackerman, the gym's general manager and a native of South Jersey, according to The Miami Herald.
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The incident unfolded Saturday afternoon at the Equinox gym, a popular fitness center located at the city's upscale Shops at Merrick Park. Miami-Dade police said the shooting took place at 12:55 p.m., hours after the gunman, identified as 33-year-old bodybuilder Abeku Wilson, had been escorted off the premises after a dispute with management.
Wilson fired five shots, killing Ackerman and 42-year-old fitness manager Marios Hortis before turning the gun on himself.
Witnesses at the gym expressed both shock and confusion over Wilson's outburst, recalling him as a friendly and otherwise professional man in his work as a trainer.
In the wake of the shooting, the mall remained closed for the duration of the day.
“We are working with all of the relevant authorities as they investigate the situation,” a spokesperson for Equinox said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by this terrible tragedy. Out of respect for them and our entire Equinox family, we will refrain from commenting further until it is appropriate to do so.”