Two days before Christmas, a fatal shooting occurred at the Paddock Mall in Ocala, central Florida, where a man was deliberately targeted and killed, according to local police.
Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken reported to the media on Saturday evening that the male victim died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the mall’s public area.
The mall is situated roughly 80 miles northwest of Orlando. Additionally, a woman sustained a gunshot wound to her leg during the incident.
The assailant fled the crime scene, leaving the weapon behind, Balken stated. Police were alerted to the mall around 3:40 pm following reports of gunfire inside the facility.
Upon their arrival, the officers quickly entered the mall and determined that the situation did not constitute an active shooter scenario, as explained by Balken to the press.
“Officers immediately made entry into the mall and ultimately discovered this was not an active shooter situation,” Balken said.
The shooting also resulted in injuries to several other people in the mall. Among them, one individual experienced chest pain, and another reported a broken arm, according to police statements.
An email has been sent to WPG, the company that owns the mall, seeking comments. Paddock Mall houses numerous retail outlets, including JCPenney and Foot Locker.
Calvin and Diana Amos, who were at the JCPenney store during the incident, recounted to the Ocala StarBanner how they hastily evacuated once they realized the gravity of the situation. They expressed feeling scared and anxious following the event.
Syriah Williams, 18, told CNN she was shopping with her mother at the mall when the shooting happened. “We heard one shot then a pause then 3 other shots rang out and chaos erupted,” she said in a message. Williams said mall employees opened the back storage area and instructed everyone to run.
