Shooting at Paddock Mall leaves multiple injured, one dead

Marion County Fire Rescue paramedics arriving on the scene at 3:52 a shooting at the Paddock Mall. They entered before the building was cleared by law enforcement on the scene and thirteen minutes from the first shot. [Jennifer Hunt Murty/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

A shooting at the Paddock Mall in Ocala at 3:39 p.m. Saturday is suspected to have left at least one person dead and multiple injured.

At least eight shots were fired in the central area of the mall in front of the Macy’s, according to an eyewitness.

As of 4:18 p.m., there was no longer an active threat. The shooter is believed to have fled the scene, according to the Ocala Police Department.

“Gazette” publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty was present at the scene when the shooting occurred.

One female victim was shot in the Kay Jewelers and appears to have non-life threatening injuries, said Murty.

A male victim, who was shot outside Starbucks, sustained life-threatening injuries from a gunshot to either the neck or head and died at the scene, Murty said.

“I think there were two shooters. I was volunteering at the wrapping station that raises money for the domestic violence shelter, and the gunman was probably about 10 feet away,” Murty said. “We didn’t really have any protection other than tables with linens over them but we went to the floor, and everybody else was running, so we were very close to the shooting as it occurred, and had very little protection to hide.”

At 3:39 p.m., Murty, while on the ground 10 feet from the shooter, texted OPD Chief Michael Balken that there was an active shooter. At 3:40 she texted “come now.” At 3:41 p.m., she texted “in front of Macy’s.” Not being able to take a call, she also texted, “active, can’t talk.” By 3:42 p.m., bystanders started to assist one man shot in front of Starbucks, and she texted the locations of where victims were at. By 3:47 p.m., one police officer had arrived. By 3:48 p.m., paramedics and more law enforcement arrived at the scene.

Balken described the shooter as a Black man, wearing a black hoodie, black pants and a black mask over his face.

“My fellow wrappers, hiding with me, were afraid even my text would alert them to us,” Murty said.

The mall was busy with shoppers at the time of the shooting, just two days before Christmas. Students from the Vanguard High School Band were performing in the mall.

One man, who asked to remain anonymous, told “Gazette” staff that he was waiting for his children, ages 15 and 20, who hid in a closet once they heard gunshots.

Another witness, Dee Falbush, reported hearing about 15 to 20 gunshots. The woman and her 12-year-old son were in the Graphics t-shirt store.

“I dropped my phone and just started running,” she said.

Another witness, Melissa Ramirez, was in the Starbucks with her sister while the pair shopped for Christmas gifts for their family.

“We’re walking around Starbucks, we’re laughing, we’re smiling, joking about our drinks…next thing you know we hear ‘pop’ and we look back because we weren’t sure if it was just something, but then we heard ‘pop, pop,’ and that’s when I grabbed (my sister) and I told her to run,” Ramirez said.

“Everybody was screaming and running and pushing and trying to get out,” she said.

Sean Blake was going to the Eyeglass Hut at the time of the shooting. Blake reported seeing a suspect carrying what looked like a pistol.

Several students who were performing with the band at the mall from Vanguard High School, including Donald Lloyd, Allison Tarr, Brooklyn McKay and Jacob Rodgers, said they ran when the shooting started.

“I ran, I tripped over some people, I got out of there as fast as possible. I was afraid for my life and the life of my teammates so I quickly left,” said Lloyd.

OPD is currently investigating.

This is not the first shooting that has occurred at the Paddock Mall. In 2021, an 18-year-old man died after being shot in the mall’s parking lot.