OCALA, Fla. — Ocala police are asking the public to help them track down the suspect in a shooting at the Paddock Mall that left one man dead and a woman injured.
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The Ocala Police Department said the shooting happened shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday as people were still Christmas shopping.
The call was initially dispatched as an “active shooter” situation in the mall, prompting a heavy police response and an evacuation of the mall.
Police say they ultimately determined there was no active shooter, but that a shooting had occurred inside the mall.
Responding officers found one shooting victim who was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as 40-year-old David Barron.
A woman was also injured in the shooting. She was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Police have identified the suspected shooter as 39-year-old Albert Shell Jr.
READ: Ocala police identify murder suspect in Paddock Mall shooting
Shell has a warrant out for his arrest charging him with premeditated first-degree murder, but police say they haven’t been able to find him.
The reward for information leading to Shell’s arrest was increased Friday from $10,000 to $15,000.
Police area asking anyone with information on where to find Shell to call them at (352) 656-6137.
Records show that Shell has a long history of run-ins with law enforcement. He has a record that includes nearly 30 court cases.
READ: Records show suspected mall gunman previously arrested 18 times before deadly shooting
Shell has been convicted of theft, assault and battery, fleeing from police and numerous cocaine-related charges.
Police were also looking for a man who they say took a red hat from the scene belonging to Shell that potentially contained key DNA evidence. Investigators have since spoken to the man- who they say is cooperating with their investigation- and recovered that hat.
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