A guy wanted in relation to a shooting that occurred over Christmas weekend inside an Ocala mall and resulted in one man’s death and another man’s injuries has been given an arrest warrant by Florida police.
The Ocala Police Department said on Facebook on Sunday that the 39-year-old Albert J. Shell Jr. is wanted for premeditated first-degree murder and attempted premeditated first-degree murder.
Authorities say that as of Sunday night, Shell was still at large. A $5,000 reward has been offered by the police for information that leads to his capture.
According to Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, the shooting was likely a premeditated act of violence on Saturday. A lady who was shot in the leg is expected to recover, while one male, identified as 40-year-old David Nathaniel Barron, was found dead from gunshot wounds in a common area inside the mall, according to police.
Balken described the suspect as a Black male wearing black pants, a black mask, and a hoodie. Police stated on Saturday that the suspect left the mall on foot following the shooting.
Due to last-minute shopping by customers, the incident occurred at the Paddock Mall just two days before Christmas, on a day that experts predicted would rank second only to Black Friday. This incident highlights how commonplace gun violence has become in America as it permeates almost every aspect of daily life.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of Sunday morning, over 42,000 people had lost their lives to firearms in 2023. Of these, almost 18,400 were the consequence of a homicide.
Police asked the public to help them identify a “person of interest” in the case who was pictured early on Sunday. The figure was wearing dark clothing, white sneakers, and a red cap.
At the time of the incident, Balken noted that there were “a lot of people inside the mall,” “which means there’s a lot of witnesses that could potentially help us bring this case to a successful resolution.”
Anyone with video of the shooting should get in touch with the Ocala Police Department and share it with the detectives.
At a press conference on Saturday, Balken stated that the police had first gotten a report about many rounds fired at approximately 3:40 p.m. After the initial call, which described the situation as including a “active shooter,” they reacted with a strong presence.
“Officers entered the mall right away and determined that there was no active shooter situation,” according to Balken.
Balken stated that when police came upon the victims, they also found the gun they think was used in the killing.
According to 18-year-old Syriah Williams, she was at the mall shopping with her mother when the shooting occurred.
In a message, she stated, “We heard one shot, then there was a pause, then three more shots rang out and chaos erupted.” She added that mall staff had unlocked the rear storage room and told everyone to go.
The corporate owner of Paddock Mall, Washington Prime Group, informed CNN Sunday that the shopping center will be closed on Sunday and Monday. The parking lot is reopened, according to the Ocala Police Department, so drivers can get their cars back.
