Ocala Paddock Mall shooting: State Attorney seeks death penalty for alleged shooter
OCALA, Fla. - The State Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty for Albert Shell Jr., the man accused of opening fire at the Paddock Mall in Ocala just before Christmas.
Bill Gladson, the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, announced Friday that he filed a death penalty notice against the 39-year-old. Shell, who remains in custody at the Marion County Jail, was indicted by a grand jury last week for premeditated first-degree murder with a firearm, two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The State Attorney's Office said they're seeking the death penalty given the severity of the crime and its impact on the community.
"The decision is reflective of the gravity of the alleged offenses and the impact on the victims and their families. The State Attorney's Office acknowledges the sensitivity of this matter and the impact it has on the community. Our commitment to ensuring justice and holding criminals accountable for their actions remains unwavering," Gladson said in a news release.
Albert Shell Jr. (Photo: Ocala Police Department)
RELATED: City of Ocala refusing to pay for damage after SWAT officers broke store owners' property
Shell allegedly opened fire inside the Paddock Mall on Dec. 23, sending last-minute Christmas shoppers scrambling for cover. It was first reported that a 40-year-old man, identified as David Nathaniel Barron, was pronounced dead inside the mall from the shooting, and a woman was shot in the leg. Now, police said there is a third victim.
A second individual was grazed by a stray bullet, but his injury was minor and he didn't go to the hospital, police said. No other details about his identity have been released at this time.
Shell Jr. was taken into custody Jan. 8 by Ocala police officers, U.S. Marshals and Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies. His arrest came after officials confirmed his whereabouts – at a home about 20 miles southwest of Ocala – and negotiated with him for about two hours before he surrendered, according to Ocala Chief of Police Mike Balken.
RELATED: Man returns alleged Ocala mall shooter's hat taken from crime scene, police say
Balken said Shell has a long rap sheet and should have been behind bars.
"His criminal history alone tells me he should have never been on the streets to be able to commit this crime, and we are going to see to it that he spends the rest of his life behind bars," he said.