{"id":1283,"date":"2026-06-03T23:06:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T23:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1283"},"modified":"2026-06-03T23:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T23:06:09","slug":"i-played-dead-survivor-clashes-with-defense-in-trial-for-2024-fort-lauderdale-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1283","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I played dead’: Survivor clashes with defense in trial for 2024 Fort Lauderdale shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Just looking at Torie Cross, you wouldn\u2019t know he was shot in the face two years ago. <\/p>\n

Read more Prominent realtor and daughters killed in apparent murder-suicide in Doral<\/a><\/p>\n

Cross took the stand Wednesday to testify about the deadly shooting at Band House along Northwest 62nd Street on Jan. 29, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale that was caught on surveillance video.<\/p>\n

His friend, Marcel Noel, 30, was shot to death right in front of him.<\/p>\n

Then the gunman, Jorge Varona Suarez, 38, fired at Cross, hitting him in the arm. The bullet traveled through his chest and landed next to his heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne centimeter to the left, I would\u2019ve been dead, one centimeter to the right, I would\u2019ve been paralyzed,\u201d Cross said from the witness stand.<\/p>\n

Cross testified that Varona then stood over him and shot him a second time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I felt a presence stood over me. He shot me, a face shot, and when he shot me, the bullet missed my head but went through; it split my lip and knocked my tooth out,\u201d Cross said. \u201cAnd the lip produced so much blood he thought he had a head shot, and I played dead, and I just laid there.”<\/p>\n

Varona is on trial for murder and attempted murder. He is claiming self-defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When defense attorneys questioned Cross, things got heated in the courtroom. They alleged Cross mouthed a message to Varona across the room during a break in his testimony.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were mouthing things to him, correct?\u201d asked defense attorney Emma Wilkes asked.<\/p>\n

Read more FAA investigating close call between JetBlue plane and aircraft near Fort Lauderdale<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI said one thing. You want to know what I said?\u201d Cross said. \u201cI said, \u2018I\u2019ll see you next lifetime.\u2019 I said, \u2018I will see you next lifetime.’\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you told him, ‘I\u2019m going to kill you?\u201d Wilkes asked.<\/p>\n

\u201c’I will see you next’ \u2013 stop it \u2013 \u2018I\u2019ll see you next lifetime.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said,\u201d Cross insisted.<\/p>\n

Defense attorneys claim Varona came into contact with Noel that night at the club because Noel was arguing with another patron. They say he fired his gun to protect others.<\/p>\n

But Cross told jurors there was no threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you threaten him (Varona) in any way?” Assistant State Prosecutor Tonya Johnson asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Cross replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid the victim threaten him in any way?\u201d Johnson asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Cross replied.<\/p>\n

Varona is expected to testify in his own defense during trial. If convicted on the murder charge, he could face life in prison.<\/p>\n

Read more Family sues Campbell\u2019s soup over what they say were worms in their SpaghettiOs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just looking at Torie Cross, you wouldn\u2019t know he was shot in the face two years ago. Cross took the stand Wednesday to testify about the deadly shooting at\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-only-on-6"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018I played dead': Survivor clashes with defense in trial for 2024 Fort Lauderdale shooting - Jacksonville Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1283\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018I played dead': Survivor clashes with defense in trial for 2024 Fort Lauderdale shooting - Jacksonville Moving News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Just looking at Torie Cross, you wouldn\u2019t know he was shot in the face two years ago. 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