One person killed, another injured in shooting at Florida shopping mall
One person died and another was shot in the leg in a shooting at a shopping mall in central Florida
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man died in a shooting Saturday at a shopping mall in central Florida in which the victim was apparently “targeted” for the attack, police said.
Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken told reporters Saturday evening that the man was killed after he was shot multiple times in a common area at Paddock Mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando. A woman was shot in the leg, police said.
The suspect fled the scene and left behind the firearm, Balken said.
Police arrived at the mall around 3:40 p.m. after calls of multiple shots being fired at the mall.
“Officers immediately made entry into the mall (and) ultimately discovered that this was not what we would consider an active shooter,” Balken told reporters.
Several other mall patrons also suffered injuries during the shooting, with one person having chest pain and another reporting a broken arm, police said.
An email inquiry was sent to the mall's owner, WPG. The mall has dozens of stores, including J.C. Penney and Foot Locker.
Calvin and Diana Amos, who were shopping in the J.C. Penney store, told the Ocala Star-Banner that they evacuated the store quickly once they figured out what was going on. They described themselves as scared and apprehensive.