Florida mall shooting: Reward up to $10,000 as police hunt for suspect
Police are still hunting for the man suspected of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Florida mall during the holiday shopping rush.
One person was killed and another was shot and wounded in the apparent targeted shooting at the Paddock Mall in Ocala Saturday afternoon.
The suspect, 39-year-old Albert J. Shell Jr., is wanted on charges of premeditated first-degree murder and attempted premeditated first-degree murder, police said.
A $10,000 reward is available for information leading to his arrest.
$10K REWARD! We are still actively searching for the Paddock Mall murder suspect, Albert Shell Jr., and we're now offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information of his location that will lead to his arrest. Please call 352-656-6137 with the information. pic.twitter.com/fh9PiHZBFB
— Ocala Police (@ocalapd) December 26, 2023
The slain victim, 40-year-old David Nathaniel Barron, was found dead in a common area of the mall when police arrived, authorities said.
He is believed to have been the target, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said.
A woman was shot and injured and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Other injuries stemming from the incident included chest pains and a broken arm, Balken said.
Police over the weekend said they were searching for a man who took the suspect's red hat from the mall.
"That hat may contain valuable DNA evidence," police said. "If you do not return the hat within the next few hours, we will release your picture ... and you will be arrested with a felony charge of tampering with evidence."
On Wednesday, police said the man who took the hat had "been identified and is cooperating."
The man who took the red hat has been identified and is cooperating with us. We now have the hat in our possession. We are continuing our ongoing search for Albert Shell Jr. We appreciate you all for sharing our messages.
— Ocala Police (@ocalapd) December 27, 2023
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The mall, which was packed with shoppers ahead of the holiday, was evacuated after the gunfire broke out on Saturday.
"This is the worst thing we can imagine right now at this time of the year," Balken said. "Somebody has suffered a loss in their family. It's a horrible time of year for this to happen ever. It's especially sad during the holidays."
Syriah Williams, 18, told ABC News she was shopping at Bath & Body Works with her mother when she heard several shots ring out and "chaos erupted."
"The employees opened the back storage area and told everyone to run," said Williams, who took cover behind the counters at the store.
Ocala Gazette owner Jennifer Hunt Murty told ABC News Radio she was volunteering at a gift-wrapping station when gunfire erupted about 10 feet away from her.
"We dropped to the ground," she said. "I texted the police chief and said active shooter in the mall, and he responded right away."
She said she texted the chief where the injured victims were so medics could get to them, and after it seemed safe began interviewing people and taking photos.
"You never know how you're going to react in those situations, but I went to work," she said.
Police recovered a gun from the scene believed to have been used in the shooting, Balken said.
ABC News' Layla Ferris contributed to this report.
Florida mall shooting: Reward up to $10,000 as police hunt for suspect originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
