Marion County deputies identify man killed in shooting on Ocala roadside

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Marion County deputies say they took one person into custody Tuesday after a deadly shooting in Ocala.

Deputies were called to the 3800 block of SE 95th street around 5:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting.

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They arrived to find the victim already deceased at the scene. He’s been identified as 60-year-old Willie Jones, Jr.

Jones’ family says he had broken down on the side of the road and was looking for help when he was shot.

“He was a fun-loving guy,’ Jones’ niece Tinikqua Burt said. “Big guy, big heart.”

Burt says Jones was well known and liked in the community.

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After the shooting, witnesses were able to give Marion County deputies a description of a possible suspect vehicle.

Alert deputies spotted the vehicle and followed, but the driver refused to stop.

A pursuit ensued that continued along I-75 into Sumter County before deputies were able to execute a successful P.I.T. maneuver and take the driver into custody.

The driver has been identified by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office as 30-year-old Johnnie Samuel. He’s being held with no bond in the Sumter County jail on a charge of resisting arrest. Samuel has not been officially charged or named as a suspect in Willie Jones, Jr.’s shooting death.

However, Jones’ family says he and Samuel were known to each other, and that Jones had likely helped Samuel in the past.

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“We stay together...we love each other,” Burt said. “We’re big on family, and he came along and he just tore us apart.”

The sheriff’s office says they’re still in the process of interviewing Samuel, collecting evidence, and interviewing witnesses. They haven’t named a possible motive for the shooting.

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