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FLORIDA CITY (CBSMiami) – Two pediatric patients have been taken to the hospital following a shooting in South Florida.

The shooting took place in Florida City and the patients were airlifted to Kendall Regional Medical Center.

“I heard pop, pop, and I called police,” said local resident Arnold Lloyd.

“He heard eight gunshots,” added fellow resident Jusela Pierre. “He counted eight.”

Family members told CBS4’s Hank Tester the two children are siblings, a 5-year-old male named Eric and a 9-year-old female named Treasure.

Police say both children were shot in the chest but are expected to survive.

The kids were in the front yard of their home on 12th Street at the time of the shooting.

“I try to grab my little brother; before I make it he’s already screaming, running around,” said older brother Tadarius Bell. “My sister starts calling ma, ma, ma and she was bleeding.”

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue brought the children to the trauma center.

A car and the front of their home was riddled with bullets.

Witnesses say the front yard was full of kids when a white car sped by, opening fire.

“I want to break down and cry,” Bell said. “Pray, pray and pray all day.”

It’s an unfortunate but common issue in that part of town, where survival is taught to the local children by a church group.

“Teaching a lot of the kids in the community how to duck down when they hear something, not just to stand there,” said Pierre.

A major investigation is underway by Florida City Police.

“I do not know what’s wrong with young people these days,” Lloyd said. “A lot of people move out of the city down here. We did not have this problem [when I was younger], we’d fight. But now it is shooting, shooting, shootings.”

Police are urging anyone with information on the shooting to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.