Florida mall shooting leaves one dead, multiple injured

A man died Saturday in a shooting at a shopping mall in Ocala, Florida, in what police say they believe may have been a targeted attack.

Police received a call around 3:40 p.m. and found the man deceased in a common area at Paddock Mall, according to an Ocala Police Department Facebook post.

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“Officers immediately made entry into the mall (and) ultimately discovered that this was not what we would consider an active shooter,” Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken told reporters.

One woman was taken to a local hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, and she is expected to survive, Balken said. There were additional people who suffered what he called ancillary injuries, including chest pains and a broken arm, but it is unclear how many.

Balken said the suspect, who he described as a black male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and a black mask, fled the mall on foot and is at large. Police recovered the firearm they say they believe was used in the shooting.

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“It’s the worst thing we can imagine right now at this time of year,” Balken said. “Somebody’s suffered a loss in their family. It’s a horrible time of year for this to happen ever, but certainly especially sad during the holidays. … Our hearts and prayers go out to the folks that had to witness this.”

In the Facebook post, police asked anyone present during the shooting with relevant information to call Ocala Crime Stoppers at 352-368-7867.