Fatal Florida Mall Shooting Takes One Life, Injures Another

A shooting incident inside a mall in Ocala, Florida, on Saturday afternoon has resulted to the death of one man and an injury to a woman.

Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken explained that police received 911 calls reporting multiple shots fired inside Paddock Mal, prompting a heavy police response under the assumption of an active shooter scenario.

“Officers immediately made entry into the mall and ultimately discovered this was not an active shooter situation. Police instead characterised the shooting incident as a targeted act of violence,” Balken said.

He said the police discovered an adult male dead from gunshot wounds and a woman with a gunshot wound to her leg who was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive.

The owners of Paddock Mall, in a statement, said they were deeply saddened by this tragedy, as their thoughts are with all those involved.

“The safety of our guests, retailers, and employees is our top priority. We are working closely with the Ocala Police Department as they investigate this incident,” it read.

The Ocala Police Department have released photo footage of the shooter, describing him as a person of interest.

They urged the public to provide information for identification.