A manhunt is underway for a gunman who killed one person and injured several others at a mall in Florida on Saturday.
The Ocala Police Department said it has issued an arrest warrant for Albert J. Shell Jr., who is accused of shooting and killing David Nathaniel Barron, 40, at the Paddock Mall in Ocala. A woman was also shot in the leg and taken to a hospital.
Police said Shell is wanted on charges of premeditated first-degree murder and attempted premeditated first-degree murder. They are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
According to Police Chief Mike Balken, Shell fled the scene on foot after leaving behind the firearm he used in the shooting, which occurred in a common area of the mall around 3:40 p.m. local time.
Balken said investigators believe Barron was the intended target of the shooting, but did not disclose a possible motive or the relationship between the suspect and the victim.
The shooting also caused panic and injuries among other mall patrons. Police said one person suffered chest pain and another had a broken arm as they tried to escape the gunfire.
Police also said they are looking for a red hat that Shell was wearing during the shooting. They said someone took the hat from the scene and urged them to return it as soon as possible, as it may contain valuable DNA evidence.
“If the hat is not returned quickly, we will release a picture of the individual who took it,” police said in a statement. “The person who took the hat will be arrested on a felony charge of tampering with evidence.”
Ocala is a city of about 60,000 people located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.
