18-year-old dies after Ocala shooting

An Ocala Police Police Department officer removes crime scene tape from the scene of a shooting at the Paddock Mall on Tuesday. An 18-year-old shot in a separate incident on Tuesday died of his wounds. [Carlos Medina/Ocala Gazette]

Wintrell Cortez Jones died after he was shot while in the 2000 block of Northwest 42nd Street in the Northgate Villas neighborhood, according to Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. Jones later died at the hospital.

Sheriff’s officials were not releasing any details surrounding the shooting.

Jones’ shooting was one of two on Tuesday. The second happened just before 5 p.m. in the Paddock Mall parking lot, according to the Ocala Police Department.

A 17-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman were shot while riding in a white Nissan. The two were able to run from the car toward the mall’s food court entrance. The 17-year-old made it inside, but the woman collapsed near the front door. Neither suffered life-threatening injuries.

An 18-month-old child was also in the Altima but was not hurt in the shooting, according to OPD.

No arrests have been made in either shooting.

On July 22, Joshua Tyson, 16, was shot and killed at an incident at Sutton Place Apartments, 523 NE 23rd Circle. Tyson was shot multiple times just before 9:30 p.m. and died at the hospital, according to OPD.

No arrests were made in that shooting, the second fatal shooting of a teen at Sutton Place since December. Police said they found a stolen handgun in Tyson’s possession.

Less than 24 hours later, an 18-year-old man was shot at least four times in a 2 p.m. shooting at the Promenade of Ocala Apartments, 1421 SW 27th Ave. The man, who was not identified by police, is recovering.

Jihad Kiran Elvy, 19, was arrested after a K9 officer found him hiding in a wooded area nearby. Police also recovered a handgun about 10 feet from where Elvy was hiding, according to reports.

On July 25, a male juvenile was grazed by a bullet during a drive-by shooting near the Happiness Homes neighborhood, at Northwest 21st Street and Northwest 24th Road. The injuries were not life-threatening, according to police.

The series of shootings that have claimed the lives of five teenagers since December, had OPD Chief Mike Balken frustrated.

“This has got to stop. This is Ocala, Florida. It is alarming the amount of violence and gunplay that has taken place especially in recent months,” Balken said.

Anyone with information about the Jones shooting is asked to call Detective Billy Burleson at 352-368-3542 or to remain anonymous, call Marion County Crime Stoppers at 352-368-STOP and reference tip number 21-53.

Anyone with information about the Paddock Mall shooting is asked to call Det. Mary Williams at 352-812-1818 or call Crime Stoppers at 352-368-STOP.