Ocala Paddock Mall shooting: Suspect arrested after man killed, innocent woman injured inside mall, police say
Suspect wanted in Paddock Mall shooting arrested, police say
Albert Shell Jr. was arrested by Ocala Police early Monday morning. Shell Jr. is suspected of shooting and killing a man, and injuring a woman, inside the Paddock Mall in Ocala nearly two weeks ago. He's been on the run since the shooting and authorities had been looking for him.
OCALA, Fla. - The suspect who reportedly shot and killed a man in a targeted attack and injured an innocent woman inside the Paddock Mall in Ocala last month has been arrested, according to police.
Albert Shell Jr., 39, was arrested by Ocala police officers with the help of the United States Marshals Service, specifically the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
In a news conference Monday morning, Ocala Chief of Police Mike Balken told reporters that his department received hundreds of tips that played a crucial role in solving the case, which included locating Shell, who was found at a home about 20 miles southwest of Ocala.
Law enforcement surrounded the home after confirming his whereabouts around 1 a.m. Monday. They negotiated with him for about two hours before he surrendered, Balken said.
The Ocala Police Department shared this photo showing the arrest of Paddock Mall murder suspect Albert Shell Jr. (Credit: Ocala Police Department)
A reward for information leading to his location increased to $20,000 last week, and Balken believes the increase helped solve the case and is confident the reward will be paid out.
"We started that reward out at about $5,000, that went up through assistance from the US Marshal Service and then again from the Florida Sheriff's Association," Balken said.
The Ocala Police Department shared a body camera video on social media showing law enforcement taking the shirtless suspect into custody, which appeared to have happened shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, according to the video's time stamp.
Shell faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder and attempted premeditated first-degree murder.
On Dec. 23, 2023, Shell allegedly entered the mall and fired multiple shots in a "common area" of the mall, sending last-minute Christmas shoppers scrambling for cover, prompting an "active shooter situation."
When police arrived, they found 40-year-old David Nathaniel Barron dead inside the mall, and a woman who had been shot in the leg. The woman was taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover.
Authorities said Barron and Shell possibly worked together at some point, but police did not want to elaborate.
New booking photo of Albert Shell Jr. (Photo via Marion County Sheriff's Office)
Balken said Shell had a lengthy criminal history 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," Balken said.