Inadequate Calder Security Leads to Guard's Death

Four held in shooting of security guard

By Mike Welsch
Daily Racing Form

Four people have been arrested by the South Florida Violent Crimes Task Force in connection with the fatal shooting of a Brinks security guard at Calder Racecourse and Casino on Sunday afternoon, the FBI announced Monday.

The unidentified victim was shot around 5 p.m. during an attempted robbery outside the track's casino. The guard was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he later died. Sunday's racing program at Calder was nearing completion at the time of the incident.

Vladimir Louissant, 25, Victoria Barkley, 26, Byron Kyler, 23, and Reginald Mitchell, 26, all of Miami Gardens, were arrested by the South Florida Violent Crimes Task Force and are expected to face federal charges in connection with the crime, according to a report in Monday's Miami Herald. Initial reports did not indicate how much, if any, money the four may have stolen in the crime.

Authorities believe the suspects initially spotted the armored truck in the parking lot of a Walmart store less than two miles from the racetrack. They then allegedly stole a pickup truck from the parking lot and followed the Brinks vehicle to Calder, police said.

A surveillance video from the track shows a man walking toward the casino. After the robbery, the man jumped into the pickup truck, which police found later at El Palacio Sports Hotel, located adjacent to the northwest corner of the Calder parking lot.

"The staff and management of Calder Casino and Race Course share the grief and sorrow that the victim's family, our team members, guests, and community are feeling following this tragic act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," said Calder's president, Austin Miller, in response to the shooting.

"As we express our condolences," Miller said, "we also want to thank the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, the Miami Gardens Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their swift actions on this case. We are fully cooperating with the law enforcement agencies during this ongoing investigation."