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MIAMI (CBS4) ― Considered to be one of the largest mass shootings in Miami's history, police say they have little to go on to catch the person who shot 9 people in Liberty City Friday night, killing two of them. Worse, police say few witnesses are cooperating.

Just days after the shooting, Liberty City residents rallied against the rise in violence, meeting with the mayor and chief of police. "We know for a fact that there were people out there who saw what happened Friday night... and we need for those good people to come forward," said Police Chief John Timoney. "I can understand some people are afraid for retaliation purposes, but we guarantee you anonymity."

18-year-old Derrick Gloster and 16-year-old Brandon Mills were killed in the attack; 7 others were injured.

Monday night, the family and friends of those injured and killed in the attack came together to call for an end to the violence.

"He didn't deserve this. It hurts me so bad," Gloster's mother said. "I don't know how I am going to go on. He's my heart. He was my baby."

"He was well mannered, soft talking, good kid. And I haven't questioned God yet. I ain't going to question God. But… But I do have a problem on how he died," Brandon Mills' mother Lasonja said Monday night.

The community is outraged over the latest senseless killings. "Parents cannot control these kids in this day and time. The 80's babies are out of control. We must stand up," Reverend Jerome Starling exclaimed.

Witnesses told police a gunman who wore a bandanna to hide his face opened fire on a group of more than 50 people playing and watching a dice game outside a store on the corner of Northwest 71st Street and 15th Avenue. Miami police said so far they do not have enough information to put out a description of the shooter.

"Apparently the assailant came out to the corner and sprayed the corner with rounds," said Miami police spokesman Delrish Moss. More than 100 bullet casings were found at the scene.

On Saturday, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Chief Timoney expressed outrage and held a news conference in the vicinity of the shootings.

Community activists expressed frustration over the violent activity in the area. "People are going through changes, hating one another," said the Rev. Jerome Starling. "City of Miami has done a great job with the 'Pork and Beans' area, two blocks away. What has happened is you can't come outside of the area two blocks away when they're shooting on the corner."

"He's not coming back. I loved my grandson, I loved him," said Bertha Estina of her grandson Derrick Gloster. "It's wrong. It's wrong, it's wrong to take another life like that. Just shoot a person down like that."

Residents like Randy Batts want to see more law enforcement in the area. "I would like to see the commissioners or the people in charge of Dade County do something to stop this kind of violence from happening in my neighborhood."

But city and community leaders say the bigger problem is how easy it is for people with ill intent to get their hands on assault weapons. In 2004, a federal ban on the sale of assault rifles expired. Since then, the Miami Police Department has seen their use in crimes rise dramatically.

According to the Miami Police Department, homicides involving high-powered weapons have drastically increased over the past four years. In 2005, three percent of the murders in Miami were committed with assault rifles. Last year, that number skyrocketed to 29-percent.

Chief John Timoney says he's received hate mail at the idea of banning assault weapons again. "To the people who wrote myself and the Mayor a lot of hate mail over the weekend: we are not talking about removing people's right to bear arms. That's guaranteed in the Constitution. But AK-47 and assault weapons… these are not things you hunt with. These are weapons of war."

Anyone with information on Friday night's shooting is asked to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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