Florida police have named the suspect in the mall shooting that left a man dead during the holiday shopping rush — and are also searching for a second man accused of tampering with evidence.
Ocala police released a photo Saturday of suspected shooter Albert J. Shell Jr., 39, who is still on the run and wanted for the first-degree premeditated murder of David Nathaniel Barron, 40, at Paddock Mall.
Shell – a bald, bearded black man with tattoos in the shape of a cross on his forehead, a teardrop under one eye and the outline of a necklace on his chest – appears expressionless in the mug shot, looking away from the photographer.
Police also shared surveillance footage of a man in the bloody aftermath of the attack who they believed “tampered with crucial evidence by removing the gunman's red hat.”
“This hat may contain valuable DNA evidence,” the department said, urging anyone who recognized the secondary suspect to contact them.
Ocala police released a photo Saturday of suspected shooter Albert J. Shell Jr., 39, who is still on the run and wanted for the first-degree premeditated murder of David Nathaniel Barron, 40, at Paddock Mall. (Pictured: Suspect Albert J Shell Jr.)
Police also shared surveillance footage of a man in the bloody aftermath of the attack who they believed “tampered with key evidence by removing the gunman's red hat.”
In the surveillance footage, the man appears to be white and of medium build with tattooed arms and shows him strolling through the mall with a bag in his hand.
Ocala police had previously shared photos of Shell on Saturday allegedly killing Barron and injuring a woman in the “targeted” attack.
Authorities responded to calls reporting an “active shooter” at Paddock Mall in Ocala, 80 miles northwest of Orlando, around 3:40 p.m. Saturday.
Barron was shot multiple times – including in the head – and was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman who was shot in the leg was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive.
At a news conference Saturday evening, police said they believe it was a “targeted act” and that Barron was the intended victim.
Ocala Police Chief Mike Strahl said, “Officers immediately entered the mall and ultimately determined this was not an active shooter.”
“An adult male was found dead in a common area and a female was transported to the hospital and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries,” authorities said.
The suspect “fled the mall undetected” after the shooting, leaving the gun behind and remains at large.
“We assume that the shooter has fled the area and is at large.” “We also assume that this shooting could have been a targeted act,” said Strahl.
Authorities responded to calls reporting an “active shooter” at Paddock Mall in Ocala, 80 miles northwest of Orlando, around 3:40 p.m. Saturday
Several victims were transported on stretchers from the mall area by emergency crews
Officers from the Marion County Sheriff's Office, county and city fire crews and the Florida Highway Patrol were on scene
Officers cordoned off the mall for 12 hours and searched the building, but did not find the shooter.
Officials shared the new photos of the suspect and offered a $3,000 reward in exchange for information leading to an arrest.
Immediately afterwards, a helicopter could be seen searching the area as officers searched for the suspect.
The shooting caused holiday shoppers to flee in panic amid the gunfire.
18-year-old Syriah Williams was shopping at the mall with her mother at the time.
She told CNN: “We heard a shot, then a pause, then three more shots were fired and chaos ensued.”
She said mall employees opened the back storage area and told everyone to run.
In addition to the two direct victims, several other shoppers suffered injuries in the shooting, with one person suffering chest pains and another reporting a broken arm, police said.
A shooting at a Central Florida mall left one person dead and another injured, and the suspect remains on the run Saturday afternoon
Police recovered a weapon believed to have been used by the shooter, but did not provide information about the type of weapon.
It is still unclear how the victim and the suspect knew each other and whether and how the female victim is involved.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and are committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” authorities said.
They added that the shooting was “the worst thing we could imagine at this time of year.”
Beams said there were “a lot of people in the mall” at the time of the shooting.
“This means there are many witnesses who could potentially help us bring this case to a successful resolution,” he added.
According to police, the mall remained closed Saturday evening, but the parking lot was reopened for people to pick up their vehicles.