Police Arrest Suspect in a Killing That Sent Holiday Shoppers Scrambling in a Florida Mall

Police Arrest Suspect in a Killing That Sent Holiday Shoppers Scrambling in a Florida Mall
A cruiser sits parked following a fatal shooting at Paddock Mall in Ocala, Fla., on Dec. 23, 2023. Jeff Walczak/Ocala Police Department via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

OCALA, Fla.—Police arrested a 39-year-old man early Monday on a murder charge in what appeared to be a targeted shooting at a Florida mall that also wounded a bystander and sent panicked last-minute Christmas shoppers scrambling for safety.

Acting on tips that poured in since the Dec. 23 shooting at Paddock Mall, officers surrounded a north Florida home around 1 a.m. Monday, Ocala police Chief Mike Balken said during a news conference. They negotiated with Albert Shell Jr. for about two hours before he was taken into custody without incident, he said, sharing a body cam video showing a shirtless Shell walking out of the house and surrendering to officers.